Skeletons
by silentxsoul
Summary: Every family has skeletons hiding in the deepest crevasses of their closets. It is those skeletons that make their way to the limelight, bringing to light truths, even at the most inconvenient times. Now Harry must prepare for war and adjust to a life once hidden from him as his family skeletons are revealed. AU/Drama ; Rated M for hints at abuse and possible language and violence
1. 00

**Skeletons**

.00.

The October night was crisp and dreary as the looming storm slowly made its way towards the hallow. A light breeze slowly began to pick up causing the old trees to creak in the night, an eerie sound, even for daylight. In the distance a lone house stood, brightly lit, sending a shiver of hope coursing through her body. She glanced down to the figure in her arms and allowed a small smile to make its way onto her face, though briefly as the nature of what she was about to do set in her mind once again. The task wasn't simple and if anyone found out what she was doing, the young child would surely be killed.

Quickening her pace the woman shifted the sleeping form from her right to her left, letting out a sight as she moved. This was perhaps the hardest thing she would ever have to do in her life. Like many times before, she let her mind wander to a fantasy in which this never occurred, a fantasy that she so badly wished was reality, for if it were, her daughter would be with her forever.

An owl let out a paralyzing screech, nearly sending the woman into a panic. The wind picked up even quicker and she knew her pace had to quicken as well. The house grew nearer and the woods slowly began to fade, as did the ominous hoot of the owl. No matter how many times growing up she had heard the dreadful beast call out, it startled her every time.

The door was only a few steps away, her plan nearly complete. There was one final step, the crucial moment in time that would forever decide her fate. When she reached the door a lump began to rise in her throat and the wind began to slowly leak from her lungs. Her mind was in overdrive trying to think of another way out, any possible plan that wouldn't end as this one would. It was futile because she knew too well that this was the only way, she'd played through thousands of scenarios and none of them worked.

Using her last bit of courage she gently rapped her knuckles in the center of the door and held her breath. This was really happening, and there wasn't a thing that could stop it. Her heart grew heavy and the tears pricked her eyes as she heard movement from inside the home. Moments later the door cracked open slightly and a frightened man peered back at her. The breath that she was holding escaped as a sob as he slammed the door back shut.

"NO!" She cried out, her emotions coming out all at once. "NO!" Her sobs grew louder as she pounded on the door with one fist. The child in her arms slowly began to awaken, crying out as she did. "YOU HAVE TO HELP ME!" She yelled.

No one came back to the door. This was it, her plan had failed. Slowly she felt her knees drop to the ground as she clutched her crying child. Together they sobbed as grief over came the woman. "I can't lose you. I can't let him kill you!" She repeated over and over.

She was in this state for a long while before her mind began to formulate a new plan. _If they won't take her, I'll leave her here, on the door step, and they'll have to take her in. By the time they realize she's here Vernon will have me moved to an entirely new home and she'll be safe. _

The plan quickly dissipated as another hoot sounded. There wasn't a chance in hell she would actually leave her daughter out in the dead of night, unprotected from the elements. The desperation in her flung all kinds of irrational thoughts across her mind, but there was only one that could work. Petunia picked herself up and calmed the restless child in her arms. She turned back to the door and knocked again, this time increasingly louder. If they wouldn't come out by will she would annoy them out.

Her plan must have worked because after the fourth round of knocking the door was ripped open and furious red head stood before her. Petunia froze, hand in midair, and felt the lump in her throat grow larger. A strangled cry escaped her mouth and before she knew it, she was crying again, this time with joy. Her sister had opened the door.

"Lily," She croaked, body shaking, "You must help me!"

Lily looked back at her sister with a skeptical look. Noticing her frail state she gingerly took the child from her arms and pulled her into the home, securing the door behind her. Her husband stood near the steps of the home with a sleeping bundle of messy black hair.

"I'm afraid you've missed the party." He sneered and left the room. Petunia cringed visibly but said nothing. She deserved that, after all the things she'd done to the family. It was a miracle they even let her in their home.

"You have exactly two minutes to tell me why you've come to my home at this late of an hour and woke my child." Lily demanded. She narrowed her eyes at the older woman, and began to impatiently tap her foot.

Petunia stared at her for a long moment before letting a stray tear fall from her eye. "You are my last hope to keep my baby girl alive."

"What exactly do you mean? Are you being hunted? Targeted by Voldemort? Or is it Vernon?" Lily demanded. She had known for a long while that her sisters relationship with her oaf of a husband hadn't been a healthy one. It was well within reason to assume he'd done something volatile to either her or their daughter. She also knew of the target on her own head and knew that it wouldn't be farfetched of Voldemort to target her family.

"All of them really…" Petunia replied with a faraway look. "It's a long story, and I don't have a lot of time. Please just let me tell what I can and don't interrupt." She wrapped her arms around her body and sighed heavily.

Lily just nodded, "Follow me." Lily headed into a room just off the main entrance. By the looks of it the room was a small library or study, exactly in Lily's style. Books were strewn all over the room as were various toddler toys and wrapping paper. She gestured to Petunia to sit in one of the chairs. "I'll have James put her with Harry so she can nap."

Petunia said nothing and Lily left the room. While she was gone Petunia let her mind sort through what she was about to do and say. It was a complicated and heartbreaking tale, one that she wasn't keen on reliving. The fact that she had to do it was killing her inside, but there wasn't an option.

Lily returned shortly with two cups of tea. She held them up and said, "Freshly brewed and as strong as I can without magic. Just like mum used to make." She smiled softly and handed one of the cups to her sister. Petunia accepted and took a long drink.

"At this point I wouldn't have minded if it had been magically prepared. Not after what I've been through these past four months." Petunia said sadly. Lily allowed herself a momentary expression of shock before composing herself once again. It wasn't often that Petunia willingly let magic happen, and it was even less often that she tolerated it.

"I'll let you tell your story now, and I promise I won't interrupt, not if I can help it."

Petunia sighed again and ran her fingers through her mousy brown hair. "First I want to apologize to you Lily. I've been the worst possible human anyone can ever be. I've treated you in such an unfair and inhumane way that I don't deserve the chance to even be in your presence. I'm sorry I missed Harry's birthday and I'm sorry I never wrote. I'm sorry I never gave you the chance to meet your niece until now. She's just like you, you know, in every way possible. The only difference is she takes after me in looks."

Lily sat back in her chair and allowed what was said to soak in. Petunia and herself hadn't had this much of a conversation in over a decade, much less one of substance. To hear her talk now reminded her of life before she found out she was a witch. She smiled over her cup of tea, "I doubt that, but I accept your apology Pet. I've been waiting for the time that I could speak to you again like when we were young. I've long since forgiven you because my love for you outweighs anything you could possibly do to me."

Petunia felt her eyes begin to water. She set her cup down and made her way to her sister and gave her a tight hug. "God Lily I've been such a bitch! I'm so terribly sorry now!" She whispered through her tears. Lily laughed heartily.

"Pet you were being protective of your own individuality. While I don't agree with what you did I can't hold it against you."

Petunia pulled away and wiped her eyes. With a smile she sat back down. "I wish that this could stay as a happy love fest, but I'm afraid that the reason I came was much more depressing." She grabbed her tea cup and took another long drink before beginning her tale.

"As you know I had little Emma last May. She was a happy baby, normal in every aspect, much to Vernon's pleasure. It wasn't long for me to realize that she was anything but normal. I told you she was like you in every aspect, and I wasn't lying. At around four months old I noticed that some of her toys would mysteriously disappear or appear next to her when I knew full well where they were previously. I knew what to look for next.

"When she was six months old I took her for her first haircut. Not long after her hair had grown back in full. Puzzled I took her back and the lady was astonished at how quickly her hair grew back. I knew then that my suspicions were true. I had a witch for a daughter."

Lily's face filled with shock. "Pet-"

Petunia shook her head. "Vernon hadn't noticed and I had hoped that I was imagining things. I went into denial, but a part of me knew that I was right. These odd things continued happening randomly for the next few months. It wasn't until she was eleven months old that things really got out of hand. I was in the kitchen making lunch and Vernon was watching television with her. She'd been crying about not having her pacifier, but we were trying to wean her off of it slowly and Vernon wouldn't give it to her. So she got it herself, and I don't mean by walking up and getting it. She summoned it Lily! I watched it hover on the counter beside me. In my state of shock I followed as it flew through the kitchen and down the hall and ultimately into her mouth.

"Vernon was furious. I thought he was going to do something drastic so I grabbed her in my arms and looked at him. I told him that it wasn't what it looked like, a feeble excuse for a lie. He turned three different shades of red and threw the television into the wall. I ran out the door and down the road. I was so afraid of what he would do. Later that night I went back and he'd calmed down. He said if she did it again she was gone.

"His plan was to send him to his fifth cousin Stanley, an abusive and volatile man. He would have surely killed her at the first sign of anything abnormal. I couldn't let that happen so I began trying to hide her magic. It didn't work because as the days went on her magic grew, just as yours did. He's arranged for her to be sent off in the morning. I can't let him do it. Stanley's been convicted of assault more times than you've cast a spell. He's got a short fuse and a blind anger. He. Will. Kill. Her!" Her face flushed with anger at the sound of her own words. It was a harsh accusation, but it was one that wasn't without warrant.

Petunia sat there in silence after she finished, trying to calm her emotions. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more for this to all be a dream.

Lily just stared at her sister for a long while. "What exactly is it you are asking of me?" She asked finally in a quiet voice.

"I think you best get James for this."

"There's no need," A third voice sounded. The two women started as James made his way into the room and stood behind Lily's chair. "I've been in the hall the whole time as you've been talking. What you want is… dangerous. We've got a bounty on our head and she's as good as dead if it's fulfilled." His face grew solemn as he addressed Petunia.

Below him Lily gasped as she realized what Petunia wanted. "Pet, I couldn't do that. She needs her real mother. Not her aunt!"

Petunia shook her head again and spoke with a grave voice, "She's guaranteed death either way then. At least this way there is hope that you'll live and so will she. She'll be with someone capable of love that can nurture her. She'll have siblings. She'll be with her own kind of people and can learn magic without fear of being persecuted for it by her own father."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" James asked gently. "Because if it isn't I can't allow you to do it."

"I want nothing more to keep her, nothing except her safety and that is only ensured with you two. This is one of the hardest things I'll ever do in life, but I'm certain it's what I want. By tomorrow night I'll be in a new home with an adopted child that Vernon has selected. The boy is Emma's age and bears a high resemblance with Vernon. Easy enough to pass off as our own and easy enough to replace my baby. She needs this home… more than I need her." Petunia explained through a raspy voice.

Lily stood and embraced her sister. "Then we'll do it. But understand that if we die and she lives then we'll have to send her to someone else that you may not know or back with you."

"She can never come back to me, as much as it pains me to say it."

"Then we'll ask our friend Alex to step in as her God Father," James said as he made his way to the desk. From it he extracted a quill and parchment and began to draw up a legal contract.

Lily turned to him and smiled, "He's perfect. Petunia you'd love him if you met him. He's almost 30 now and has no kids. He's the kindest man I know, much like our grandfather. If anything happened he'd educate her better than the best wizarding school around. He'd treat her with love and respect and never raise so much as a finger at her in anger."

Petunia nodded, "If you think he's fit then I'll take your word for it." She was beginning to grow numb as the reality set in.

James returned to the two women with a maroon quill and the contract. "This is a blood quill. When you write it uses your own blood to make the contract legal in the wizarding community. Because Emma has magic blood this is all we need to take over custody. All you have to do is sign and date at the bottom." He explained to her. "I'll give you a minute to look it over."

Petunia scanned the page and felt satisfied with what was written. "The only change is that her name should be Potter, not Dursley-Potter. I don't want her associated with that man."

James quickly made the changes and handed the document back to his sister-in-law. Petunia took the quill from his hands and quickly scribbled her name, biting her teeth as she did. The pain was minimal and manageable. Outside a flash of lightning lit up the room as the storm that followed Petunia through the woods finally hit. In the brief brightness she saw the bright red of her name and nearly feinted on sight. It was official and it was legal. With her blood she renounced her guardianship of her daughter on the grounds that her husband created an unsafe environment for the magical being that Emma was.

James and Lily both signed their names and James took the contract and locked it up in the desk. "Alex will be notified and he'll sign at a later date."

"What if he refuses?" Petunia asked, fear suddenly taking over her mind. "If you two, god forbid, die then she'll be left for no one!" She began to panic as depressing scenarios filled her mind. Her throat tightened, restricting air flow, and she let out a pitiful sound.

"Pet! Shh, it'll be alright…" Lily whispered to her sister. She embraced her for a third time that night and repeated the lines over and over again. "Alex would do it in a heartbeat, even if he'd never met the girl. I promise."

Petunia finally calmed down and Lily let go of her. James had stepped out of the room to go get Emma for her goodbye while the two were hugging. Lily flicked her wand and the tea cups had been refilled by the pot on the table and reheated. She gave Petunia her cup back and watched as he sister willingly drank a magically poured drink. _She has changed after all…_

"Lily, you must understand that I wouldn't abandon her if my hand wasn't forced. If he found us… found her… we'd both be in grave danger. I know he wouldn't hesitate to have her "taken care of" or something drastic. For me I would be okay with the brunt of what is dealt. She's just a baby!" Petunia nearly collapsed into tears again. It took all of her composure to stay sitting and breathing evenly.

"Petunia then you must leave him! No man should ever force harm upon you!" Lily cried.

"He hasn't, not yet. He's been close many a time, but never yet. I know it's in him, just like I knew that you were a witch, that my daughter was one. He's an evil man and I'm no safer than if I leave than if I am with him." Petunia explained, pointedly looking away from her sister. She knew what was coming next, but she knew just as well that once Vernon got an idea into his head there wasn't any way to stop him, with or without magic.

Lily looked at her sister with pleading eyes. She knelt before her and said in a whispering voice, "I can help you, if you let me. No woman should feel unsafe in her own home with a man who supposedly loves her!"

Petunia shook her head. "He's done no harm yet so I can't use that as my excuse. I don't love him, not anymore, but he loves me and that's the problem. I'd never stay hidden. He would find me and drag me home. I'll be fine, Lily. His love for me is my saving grace. He doesn't have such feelings with Emma, hasn't since we found out she was a girl. I was supposed to have a boy that day, the Doctors guaranteed it. He was to be named Dudley and then little Emma was our surprise." The memory of Emma's birth caused a smile to tug at her lips, but Petunia wouldn't allow herself such an emotion.

"Petunia, just know that no matter what you do, what he does, or where I am, I will always look out for you and be there for you." Lily smiled, still knelt before her sister, "And if I could make an unbreakable vow with a muggle I would in this instant. There isn't one thing you could do to me that would make me hate you."

Petunia smiled back at her sister. "Thank you, Lily. I truly mean it and appreciate it."

"I want you to know that I will be sending photos in the mail. I'll mark them to you and charm them so only your eyes can see them. She may not live with you, but you should still get to see her in the safest way possible." Lily stood and offered Petunia a hand. "Now, let's go say goodbye to Emma. Just remember, it's never goodbye forever."

…

The devastation of that night reached many. The small home in the hallow was no longer in existence, only a pile of rubble and ash was a sign that there used to be a building there. Two children survived that night, by luck some would say. When the Dark Lord entered the home those inside acted quickly, trying desperately to save one another.

"Alex! Grab Emma and go to Dumbledore." James barked as he watched the wards fall around the home. The alarm had been going off for the last few minutes, shrilly calling out an invader.

The older man rushed into action. "What about Harry?" He asked as he scooped up his goddaughter. Emma was startled and clung to his arm in fear.

"Lily is getting him from his crib. You have to leave now!" James pushed his way into the main entryway and called behind himself, "LILY! TAKE HARRY AND RUN!"

A crash sounded outside the front door, then an eerie silence. Alex cringed and stepped into the fireplace, "Best of luck mate. I love you guys, and so does Emma." His somber words met James' equally somber face as he reappeared for a moment.

"Keep her alive."

"I'll die trying."

Alex dropped the black powder into the fireplace and in a hushed voice spoke his destination. Across the room James ducked back into the hall as the front door was blasted open. Before he could even get his wand to its target his body was met with a blinding green light.

…

The first thought that entered her mind when she found her nephew on her doorstep was that it must have been a sick joke. A small letter was placed on his sleeping chest. She bent down and grabbed the envelope and stuffed it in her robe. Behind her Vernon was clamoring down the stairs hollering about being awoken in the dead of night. Petunia turned with a grave face and his rant stopped cold.

"There's been an attack. My sister and her husband are dead and their boy is alive. He is living with us Vernon." Petunia knew that what she spoke was true. There was no other reason that her nephew would be sleeping on her front porch at two o'clock in the morning. She was being asked to return the favor for Lily, watching her son in her absence. It was a cruel twist of fate, raising a magical child that wasn't her own, but it was something she was obligated to do, something she was going to gladly do.

Vernon's temper shot up at the idea of raising a wizard. "Under no circumstances is _he_ living with us! I wouldn't have it with my daughter and I certainly won't have it with a _nephew_!"

Petunia picked Harry up and stood up straight with him. "Vernon, I never ask you for anything, and I never will. I'm telling you that we _are_ keeping him and we _are _going to raise him! I know you didn't want our daughter, but he has nowhere else to go!" It was exhilarating to stand up to her husband, and Petunia let that rush of adrenalin fuel her fire.

"Take him where you took the last one!"

That statement served as a blow to her confidence. "I can't. It was a one and done thing and there isn't a possibility that they can take on another magical child. You will allow me to keep him Vernon, I demand it!"

Vernon's face grew into a deep shade of red. He strode forward and pressed his face against his wife's. "You listen to me and you listen good! Under no circumstance will you ever demand something of me again! I am your husband and I am your authority!" His breath sent shivers down her spine, but she stood her ground.

"Then I won't challenge you again. We have to keep him. If their kind found out they would curse us!" It was a simple lie but she knew it would do the trick. Vernon was more afraid of association with magical humans than he was of raising one.

Vernon began to sputter at the thought, visibly tensing. "I suppose we can allow him to grow up here, but under my conditions. He is to be second to Dudley, he is to be given _no _special treatment, he is to be given the bare minimum and he will be respectful of it. He is to never know his heritage. And you are to never show him any favoritism or kindness, or believe me, you will be sorry. Do I make myself clear?"

Petunia nodded slowly. Vernon flashed a menacing grin, "He'll be shown his proper place in society and if you defy me, you will end up as Emma was supposed to."

Petunia paled and stepped back. Vernon headed back up the stairs. Behind him he called, "He can sleep in Emma's old crib under the stairs. She has no use of it and his filth won't contaminate my Dudley."

Petunia leaned against the door and let out a sigh. She glanced down at the sleeping toddler and smiled. "Your parents are heroes, as was your sister. I can only pray she is with the other man, living happily as she should." She went to the cupboard and cleared out a space around the crib and placed him in it gingerly. "Tomorrow I'll spruce it up a bit, but for now sweet dreams Harry."

She left the door propped open in case he began to cry. Instead of heading back upstairs she made her way into the family room and sat in a chair by the fire. Quickly she flicked on a lamp and opened the letter.

_To Petunia Dursley,_

_It is with great sorrow that I write this letter. As you may or may not have already guessed, a tragic event has occurred tonight. James and Lily Potter have perished while fighting the greatest battle of our time—against the Dark Lord, Voldemort. The only survivors were their children and a small bit of personal possessions._

_As you can see young Harry has been left in your care. His godfather is unable to fulfill his duties as is his godmother and Harry has no other relatives other than yourself and your husband. Due to the nature of their deaths a blood protection has been cast over Harry, a protection that will only weaken without the presence of a relative. You are his closets relative, save the daughter, and therefore it is of dire importance that he stay with you for the majority of his years until it's time for him to begin school at Hogwarts._

_You may be wondering about young Emma. I can say with great certainty that she is in capable and loving hands with Alex Lupin, her godfather, and they are secure in a safe house that will keep them out of trouble. _

_The Dark Lord has fallen tonight. There may be many wizards out and about tomorrow celebrating, but don't buy into it. This war isn't yet over, it has only begun. Keep Harry safe and Alex will do the same with Emma. I'm placing my utmost trust in your hands, Petunia._

_Yours Truly,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

The tears fell freely that night as her worst nightmare was coming true. She had lost nearly all of her loved ones. Only one remained and she was forbidden to show him that love.

…  
_14 Years Later_

Harry sat back in his chair and let the reality of the last few hours set in. The events at the ministry continued to replay in his mind on an endless loop. He'd been so sure that Sirius was going to be there, so sure that he was being tortured and needed his help. In reality it was a trap-just like Hermione said it would be. In the end Sirius wasn't even in the same country let alone the same building. From what he was gathering (and it wasn't much) Sirius had taken off sometime the week before Harry had had his vision from Voldemort. No one would utter a word about his whereabouts, though if he had to guess, Harry would probably assume that no one really knew exactly where he was.

To add more stress onto the already overloaded youth, Harry had just been revealed a prophecy that foretold his destiny with Voldemort. The words danced around in his head, taunting him.

_Either must die at the hand of the other..._

_Neither can live while the other survives..._

At first Harry could feel the anger rising up inside him, mad that he'd been kept in the dark for so many years. It occurred to him at that moment that perhaps he wasn't meant to know so young. If he was already reacting with anger, then how would he of acted at an even more immature age? Harry had held onto that thought and forced the burning sensation back where it came from. Professor Dumbledore had left him alone briefly to think before coming back into the room. He had just sat down when Harry let out a breath of air that he hadn't realized he'd been holding in.

"I understand what you must be going through Harry," Dumbledore spoke softly. He leaned forward onto his desk and locked eyes with his young pupil.

"Not to be rude sir, but I don't think you do." Harry replied and looked down at his lap. "I was possessed by the the evilest wizard of all time, the very same wizard who only I can kill, I find out that my entire life has been planned by some stupid sphere, I put too many people in danger tonight all because I was too stubborn to listen to Hermione, and my god-father is missing. You can't possibly understand what I'm going through because _I_ don't entirely understand what I'm going through."

"I may have not been through the exact same situation Harry, but to be fair I'm not sure anyone else has." Dumbledore pointed out. "I understand what it's like to be a teenage and suddenly have your life dissolve around you. It can be confusing and frustrating, but only if you let it. It will be imperative that you don't let this keep you from leading as normal a life as possible." He folded his hands on his desk and gave a reassuring look.

"Sir, if you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly normal." Harry replied halfheartedly.

"To be normal is to go by one's own definition I suppose." The professor remarked thoughtfully. "For now I would like you to keep in regular contact with some of your friends-even the ones that aren't Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger. You mustn't let yourself get down, that only gives Tom a victory."

Harry nodded, "I'll try sir, but you know how my uncle and aunt get when there are too many owls around."

Dumbledore chuckled at this, "Ah yes, I do remember quite well how they acted. Be on the look out for the guard. They will be arriving around your birthday to bring you to headquarters for the rest of the summer. You should also keep an eye out for your OWL results, they should arrive mid-July."

"Not much to look out for," Harry muttered to himself. He was sure that the scores weren't going to be that outstanding, all things considered. The one he was truly confident about were is Defense Against the Dark Art's scores. If they were as high as he hoped, Umbridge could eat it.

...

**So there you have it, the beginning of **_**Skeletons**_**. It's a plot that's bounced around in my head for years. Occasionally it has come out in various forms and at one point stared in its own fanfic that I later pulled the plug on because it just wasn't going where I wanted it. So the plot is back with a vengeance and is packed with many twists and new faces. I apologize in advance for the host of character's that I'm bringing to the table, but to satisfy my love of AU fictions, I'm going to need some fresh characters that I can manipulate to various roles. **

**This also means that a few characters (one of which is obvious now that the initial chapter is over) won't act as they would in Rowling's series. Those characters I feel need some reasoning's for how they acted or did what they did. I also just want to see them in a new light and it is AU after all! :) **

**I would like to note that the rating of M is purely for hints of abuse and later for some instances of language and perhaps violence. It's better safe than sorry. If you aren't comfortable with the reasoning's for the ratings, I do apologize. I'm not trying to overdue language or violence, but it may occur from time to time.**

**So drop me a line, tell me what you think! I'm curious to see what you (the readers) want from this fic! The next chapter is in the works and I'm hoping that it'll be up sooner rather than later. Prepare yourselves; it's going to be a long one (as it should be)!**

**- Tessa **

**p.s. I've created a banner for the fic for other sites that allow such things. If you are interested in checking it out I'll have a link to it in my profile!**


	2. 01

**_._**01.

A tall man in his mid-forties sat in the middle of a cluttered kitchen scanning a newspaper, looking for anything to peak his interest. The small kitchen was much the same of the entire home—compact and quaint. He hadn't needed a lot of space with only two inhabitants. Idly he sipped a cup of lukewarm coffee. It was just how most days began—peaceful.

Elsewhere in the home a young woman was sitting in front of a vanity combing through her long brown hair, magically curling sections as she went. In the mirror she examined her reflection as she waited for her hair to finish curling. Her bright blue eyes glinted mischievously as she ran through a plan to prank her uncle who was undoubtedly sipping coffee unaware of the world around him. The thought of pulling one over him caused her to smile widely showing off a toothy grin. "Alex won't know what hit him!" She muttered quietly as she moved to a new section of hair.

The relationship she had with her uncle was a fun one. They were forever pranking one another and enjoying the positive things in life He'd taught her to never take things in life for granted, and for the most part she hadn't.

Alex was her primary educator and for years she'd been studying magic more in-depth than most professionally schooled children. Their lessons were always hands on and interesting. Once while learning how to disarm an opponent Alex had bewitched a pile of sticks to imitate Death Eaters. Any time she was successful in disarming the "Death Eaters" the sticks would fall to the ground and burst into a pile of smoke before a small budding tree would sprout up from the ashes.

Smiling at the memory she gave her head a quick shake and looked for any sections she may have missed. Immediately she saw a few strands that hadn't held their curls. She began to re0curl them, allowing her mind to drift off.

It was the summer now so she had a few weeks off from schooling and was free to spend her time doing whatever she pleased. In the past she would go out into the woods that surrounded their small cottage and find something in nature that would amuse her for hours. This year however she had plans to begin researching her linage, but she wasn't exactly sure how to bring it up with her uncle.

He'd always been secretive about what had happened to her parents. Until now she respected the secrecy assuming it was for her own protection, but now at age 16 she was slowly losing patience. She was extremely curious about her past. In her dreams she often had flashes of a red headed woman or a darker headed woman, both cooing at her as if she were a child. She never could make out faces but she always felt a strong connection with the two of them. This was one of the reasons for her sudden desire to find out about her life prior to living with Alex.

As she finished her last curl a knock sounded at the front door. Confused she pocketed her wand and made her way into the hall. She met her uncle who was just as puzzled. He peered through the small hole in the center of the door and swore quietly. Behind him the young woman froze. It wasn't often her uncle swore and it wasn't often they had visitors. The cottage was fairly secluded and usually only a couple of people, professors from Hogwarts to check up on her academic progression, would come around and they usually gave notice.

"Emma you need to go pack a bag of your most valuable items. Only grab essentials. I'm afraid we have to go and we aren't going to be coming back." Her uncle spoke as he turned around. His face had transformed from puzzled to sheer terror. Emma stayed in her position in front of him trying to process what he had just said. They had to leave? What for?

Her uncle moved forward, "Now Emma! This isn't a joke!" He whispered harshly. Emma nodded and darted to her room to grab what she could. Her uncle turned back to the door and began whispering a series of complicated words. As he did so another knock sounded at the door. Ignoring it he kept chanting. The door began to glow a soft yellow before hardening and becoming part of the wall, vanishing altogether. From the other side he heard a loud curse and something hit wall hard. A small crack developed where the door had previously been. This prompted him to jump into action.

Alex ran to his room and grabbed a bag from under his bed. In less than two minutes he had packed a change of clothing, a blanket, a portable tent, various potions, and a small mirror that he hadn't touched in over a decade. Glancing around him he noticed a small photo album laying out on his desk. Quickly he stuffed that into the bag as well and headed back to the hallway. Another loud explosion sounded outside of the house causing him to flinch.

Emma met him moments later, fear taking over her features. "I've packed a few changes of clothes and a survival kit basically. Can you please explain what's going on?"

Her uncle shook his head. "I'm afraid not, at least not yet. I need to send out a letter for help and then we are on the run. Make sure you have anything of value to you while I do." Emma nodded in response.

"I've got what I cherish. Alex what is going on?"

Alex shook his head and grabbed a small pad of paper from the kitchen counter and a quill and quickly scribbled,

_Remus,_

_There is an emergency. Emma and I have been compromised. Contact Dumbledore immediately, he'll know what I'm talking about. To reassure you that I am indeed your brother, and not a Death Eater, you can contact me via the mirror I gave you. The one like I gave James and Sirius so many years ago. Hurry, there's half a dozen Death Eaters here now and more to come. _

_We are headed to Landing A. If you can't find us look for clues. I'll do my best to keep us alive._

_Love,_

_Alexander Lupin_

Alex sighed and threw a bit of floo powder into the fire place. Instantly the fireplace lit up in green flames. "Remus Lupin, immediately!" He called out and dropped the letter in the flames, watching as it disappeared seconds later.

Behind him he heard feet shuffling. They'd almost broke through the extra wards. "Shit!" He exclaimed loudly. Turning he grabbed his bag and Emma and quickly apparated from the cottage.

The sudden shift in atmosphere caused Emma to sputter. Her airway was constricted and a heavy weight pushed against her body as she was apparated alongside Alex. It wasn't the first time she'd apparated but it still affected her badly.

The two landed with a thud. Alex glanced around wildly and quickly began to ward off an area around them. Emma watched in shock as she regained her composure. The last thing she heard as they left the cottage was a loud explosion and loud voices calling out hexes. Now they were in the middle of the forest somewhere and she was completely clueless as to why.

In front of her Alex wiped his brow and continued to chant through gritted teeth. The sudden action was taking its toll on him and suddenly Emma felt ashamed. She knew most of the warding spells that he was trying to cast. Silently she drew her wand and stepped beside him. Together they finished the wards and Alex sat down in an exhausted heap.

"We've got twenty minutes before we break the wards and run to the cave just up the way. With any luck the Order will find us and take us to safety. After thirty minutes though we must move on and leave clues only they would be privy too." Alex said after a long silence.

Emma crouched beside him. "What do you need from me?" She asked, all demands of knowing what was going on having left her mind.

Alex shook his head, "Nothing for now my dear. Rest a moment, it'll be the last for a while if things don't go as they should." Emma wrapped her arms around her uncle and buried her head in his shoulder.

"Let us hope for the best then."

…

_Hours Earlier _

It was dark inside the house; that was his first observation. The second was the immediate screaming that met his ears.

"BLOOD TRAITORS! ABOMINATIONS! FILTH HAS PLAGUED THE MOST ANCIENT AND NOBEL HOUSE OF BLACK!" Harry grimaced and slammed the door as if to make a statement to the irritable portrait. Ahead of him Remus and another man that Harry hadn't yet met where tugging on the curtains used to silence the old lady when she went into these sort of tirades. Behind him Moody tapped his staff impatiently.

"Alright, let's move it along, we have a lot to cover and not a lot of time to do it." He said gruffly. Harry obliged and moved forward with a quick pace. The men finally had the curtains closed and the shrill screams subsided. Remus and the man joined Harry and Moody and the four of them made their way to the side room often used for Order meetings. Curiously Harry peered to his left to see if he was indeed supposed to go in. He knew there was to be an Order meeting, but usually he was kept as far away as possible.

'_After what I found out about the prophecy though, I suppose they see me as a tad bit more useful,'_ His thoughts had a bitter edge to them which he quickly tried to amend. Ever since being possessed by the darkest wizard of all time Harry had begun to feel a growing sensation of anger mixed with angst and bitterness. Often he found himself fighting the sudden outbursts, but had yet to find a fix. '_The only fix is probably fulfilling the blasted prophecy.'_ The bitterness returned and Harry shook his head slightly and took a deep breath. Seconds later the feelings subsided and he was left as confused as before.

Beside him Remus placed a hand on his shoulder, "Are you feeling okay Harry?" He asked gently. Harry nodded in response.

"Just tired, and a bit overwhelmed with the last few months I suppose. I'll be fine." Harry looked at his former professor and took in how tired he actually looked. He too must have been feeling the effects of the second round of the war. Harry noted that his hair had greyed a lot more since the last time he'd seen the man and his eyes were no longer full of brightness. _'No one has joy, not anymore anyway_' he thought sadly.

Harry turned from the older man and looked in the room that he had been occupying for the last few minutes. It was already packed and there were still a few people trickling in. It was good, Harry supposed, to have so many willing to put their lives on the line to stop Voldemort. Clustered together in the center of the room was a group of foreign looking men speaking in a tongue Harry wasn't familiar with. Beyond them were a few people Harry recognized from his earlier years at Hogwarts.

While Harry was taking in the room Professor Dumbledore arrived and called the meeting to session. The loud chatter stopped and all eyes focused on the man in charge. He swept his hand across the small podium, which he had summoned moments before, and instantly there were enough chairs for everyone in the room. Harry took a seat followed by Remus. Moody opted to stand, his magical eye swirling around at an incredibly fast pace.

Harry turned his attention to the professor and listened to what he was saying.

"We have a number of special guests tonight, each with a beneficial piece of information, so I expect everyone's undivided attention for the remainder of the meeting. After the guests speak with us I will move on to business left over from the last meeting, then we can go into any concerns you all may have. Now let us take a moment to honor the fallen," Dumbledore spoke with a crystal clear voice. He bowed his head briefly, his audience following suit, and after a few moments returned to his upright stance at the podium.

"First up we have guests from Romania to share with us about the latest attack we covered at the last meeting. For those not in attendance, a former member and her family had been discovered and attacked. She and her daughter fled and are currently hiding out in one of our safe houses, but we can't be certain which one." Dumbledore stepped back and gestured for one of the men Harry had noticed before to come up. A tall dark man with a thick beard approached the podium.

He cleared his throat and began in perfect English, "Our intel has led us to believe that your missing members are in a location north of our country. We received a series of coded distress letters that we have deciphered that indicate a northern location near a mountainside. According to your records safe house number 17 matches the description roughly.

"It was also discovered that only two survivors remain after the attack. I'm sorry for the loss of your members and on behalf of our legion we extend our sympathy." The man paused and cleared his throat and muttered a series of Russian words that Harry couldn't quite make out. The man looked back up at the crowd and continued on as if he never stopped. "The man you have sent was notified and was brought into our headquarters to be briefed and properly equipped. He is currently being accompanied by two of our senior agents. They are due to report back in three days at which time your members will be handed over to you.

"Further, our leader has expressed his wishes that we become allies in this trying time. He is extending the other four agents here tonight as ambassadors, if you will, who will help train, fight, strategize, even cook should you need it. In exchange he is requesting your secrets on security to help protect our group as you all do yourselves." The man finished his speech and turned to Dumbledore and offered a hand. Dumbledore took it and spoke something in the language the man had used earlier.

When the two finished their conversation the professor took to the podium again, "Thank you Mr. Gabor for your information. Mr. Gabor is a senior intelligence correspondence for an alliance group known as the Order of the Guerriero. Their cause is similar to ours, the only difference being that they extend help to those in need rather than fighting battles. In layman's terms, they are act as the intelligence of a fighting group. Should we accept their offering we would have them at our disposal to be the brains of the operation. This could alleviate great stress from some of the members who find themselves acting as strategist, fighter, and healer.

"Alright, I believe we need to call a vote. Those in favor of accepting the proposed plan say aye, those opposed, nay." Around the room calls sounded out, but with a majority of ayes, the motion passed. Harry noted that the man had gone back to speaking in the language from earlier rather than English.

"Now, the next order of business is a quite important one. Remus, if you will." Harry turned in surprise as Remus headed to the front of the room.

He stepped up to the podium and offered a friendly smile. "Good evening, or night rather," He began, a few calling back a greeting, "What we have next is indeed a fairly important topic that until recently wasn't known to us. However, thanks to a certain sixth year female from the Gryffindor house, we have discovered a piece of legislation that has been forgotten for a long while.

"Now it's not one of the silly ordinances that state newt eyes cannot be purchased on Sunday's, rather it's a bit more complex. To begin, back in the early 1700's after a nasty revolutionary war that involved witch hunts, many students were left orphaned and completely unable to care for themselves as they weren't of age and couldn't get proper jobs or access family accounts at Gringotts.

"So a law was passed lowering the age of adulthood to fifteen should the person be orphaned. This way those students could access family accounts, and in the event there wasn't an account to be accessed a small fund was provided to help the student get on their feet. A couple of years later the law raised the age to 16 because too many immature 15 year olds were abusing their new found freedom.

"As the years passed the number of orphaned declined but the law has held in place. This means that today any sixteen-year-old who has been orphaned is now legally an adult."

Remus paused then and looked directly at Harry. Harry on the other hand was looking at his hands trying to process what was being said.

"This means that out biggest ally in winning this war is legally an adult in two days' time. This also means that at least thirty students currently at Hogwarts are legally adults already, three of which have expressed interest in joining our cause.

"This brings me to the main point. Last year there was a 'defense association' of sorts, which was a hit among those serious about defending themselves. With recent events it's become clear that we need to educate our youth even further, so Professor Dumbledore and I are proposing a Junior Order. This would mean that if agreed on, Harry and the other five would head the Junior Order. Along with them would be three delegates that could sit in on meetings, discuss strategy and bounce ideas as well as bring ideas from the other side of the Order. This is a great way to reach out the younger generation and prepare them for the war that has already begun." Remus stepped back and let the common commence.

Harry watched as the room erupted in protest, each individual shouting out their opinions on the matter, but no one was really listening to the other. Remus stepped back and crossed his arms patiently and let the chaos continue. Most were badgering the idea and throwing out rude comments about Remus.

Harry on the other hand felt his head spin idea after idea. '_This could be incredibly beneficial; it would bring a fresh take on ideas as well as equip those who aren't ready to see war first hand. Not to mention it brings our numbers up to help stop Voldemort. Plus the more recruits gained now meant less falling to the dark side.'_

While the shouting increased Harry pondered the severity of the proposed situation, '_We would be responsible for an awful lot. Lives would depend on the five of us to somehow bring together a group of people who in most cases can't stand each other. Sure there are the 15 or so DA members who would jump at the chance to join, but that wouldn't be near enough for what is being proposed. No, we would need recruits from each house, including Slytherin, and they would HAVE to get along and promote unity.'_

The commotion increased to a full on yelling match and Harry felt the familiar burst of anger rise in his throat. Why couldn't they see the broader picture? Open up to a new idea? Before he could stop himself Harry had jumped out of his seat and yelled, "SHUT UP!" He hadn't meant for it to be so loud or so venomous, but it got everyone to quit down. Many turned to glare at him, but he returned it with an icy stare.

"Don't you see how beneficial this plan really is? All of you complain about how your kids aren't ready for war, but you aren't willing to adopt a plan to help ready them! This means more allies for us and less for THEM. It means fresh ideas and a load of eager volunteers to do the dirty work you all moan about. So quit taking digs at Remus and actually give this thing a shot!" Harry concluded with a red face. He wasn't sure if it was due to lack of oxygen or embarrassment. He couldn't believe he let his temper go like that. However he wasn't sorry, it needed to be said.

"For as long as history can remember Hogwarts has never been big on unity; Slytherin's hate Gryffindor's and vice-versa, Ravenclaw's are stuck up, and Hufflepuff's try to appease everyone to no avail. If we want to win this we have to work together and it starts with this generation. If we can become a united front and bring out those fresh ideas then we WILL defeat Voldemort and we WILL win this."

Harry stood there with a hard look on his face. He felt a little winded but didn't let it show. After a few moments he took his seat and looked straight ahead at the front of the room. Slowly the chatter began again, but this time it was a more discussion than arguing. Behind him he heard Moody chuckle and Harry could only assume it was directed at him. He glanced over to Remus only to see that he had a smug smile on his face. Harry knew at that moment he had been set up, but he wasn't really angry. '_It worked beautifully, you sly, dirty, old marauder!'_ Harry flashed as mile at the man who returned it quickly before moving back to the podium.

"Well, that certainly was enlightening." Remus said with a grin.

…

Early the next morning Remus made his way down to the kitchen and poured himself a hot cup of coffee. He preferred it black and as hot as he could get it so as to wake himself right away. This morning however he was oddly on edge. Muttering a caffeine charm, Remus tapped the mug and waited patiently as the coffee grew stronger. Once he was satisfied with his coffee he sat down at the table and grabbed this morning's edition of the Daily Prophet.

It was hot off the press he noted when he glanced at his watch. _'Four o'clock in the morning, that's early, even for me.' _He thought to himself. He couldn't exactly explain why he was up so early, but he had a gut feeling that it was necessary. Although, he could also attribute his lack of sleep to the success of the order meeting last night, a small victory that he was sure was going to be a loss. '_I have Harry to think for that one. Poor boy fell right into the trap just as James would have!' _ He mused affectionately. Though Harry had a good deal of his mother in him, there were many a time when he was James reincarnated.

Scanning the front page he noted that it was a slow day for news. The headline read: _Internal Affairs: Who Really Investigates our Aurors_. The article then went on to highlight some agent that had a rather large rap sheet for exposing bad Aurors. Remus folded the paper back up and grabbed his mug. If he was going to be up he might as well make himself useful. With that thought in mind Remus climbed the stairs and made his way towards the study.

Before he could reach the door however another figure emerged from it. Remus started, nearly spilling his coffee as he did, and gave a small yelp. The figure in front of him gave a knowing smile that met his eyes.

"Sorry dear Remus, I hadn't meant to frighten you. I was just about to come find you. It appears that we are needed at Privet Drive." Professor Dumbledore explained as he closed the door softly behind him.

Remus paled, "Is everything alright sir?"

The older man nodded, "I do believe so-the wards haven't indicated that there is mortal peril. It is a peculiar case however as Petunia notified me herself."

Remus blanched at the thought of Petunia Dursley willing contacting a person of magic. "Sir, you must be joking. This has to be a trap!" They were being set up, he was sure of it. Under no circumstance would Lily's sister ever contact someone from their world, even in a dire situation.

"Then we must remain vigilant," The professor replied with a kind smile.

…

When they arrived at the home an hour later Remus was surprised to hear a full on screaming match between Harry's relatives. Glancing sideways at Professor Dumbledore Remus watched as he calmly opened the door and stepped in uninvited. Swallowing hard Remus followed suit and pulled his wand from his sleeve and held it in a ready position, just in case.

"YOU IMBICLE! IT WAS A RUDDY, NO GOOD, HOODLUM TRYING TO MAKE A QUICK POUND!" A shrill voice yelled out. Remus flinched at the voice. He'd seen an angry Lily Evans and he was sure that an angry Petunia Evans was no different than her sister. The voices were coming from the kitchen so he and the professor slowly made their way towards the door.

A loud bang erupted from the kitchen and Remus heard Petunia scream out. He wasn't entirely sure if it was out of rage of desperation. In either case it was a sign that it wasn't going good in there.

"HOW DARE YOU TALK TO ME LIKE THAT WOMAN! YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN THOSE FREAKS! I'LL SHOW YOU YOUR REAL PLACE IN SOCIETY! ARGH!" Vernon bellowed out. Loud footsteps sounded in the room and Remus acted quickly, Professor Dumbledore following suit. Remus blasted the door open in time to see Petunia easily dodge the large whale of a man as he lunged for her. Vernon went head long into the wall, creating a large hole as he went. He let out a pitiful moan and Petunia crouched beside him.

"I've lived in fear of you far too long. You are nothing but a cowardly, pitiful excuse of a man! I will not live for you or by you anymore!" She hissed in his ear. From inside the wall Vernon let out a series of colorful words that Petunia ignored. She rightened herself and turned to the visitors.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that, Professor. I am not sorry, however, that it was done, because I can assure you that I meant every last word of it." Petunia said as she sat at the kitchen table with a sigh. Professor Dumbledore smiled sweetly at her and flicked his wand at her husband. Instantly the bumbling man went slack and quiet.

"Ah my dear, it is of no worry to us. I do wish to be enlightened on what happened to trigger such events, if you don't mind." He replied and sat across from her. Remus followed suit, eyes narrowed. This certainly wasn't the Petunia Dursley he knew. The Petunia he knew was harsh and cold hearted, loathing anything with a magical trace, including her own nephew. Instead the woman before him looked frail and tired and she wasn't he least bit uncomfortable with two wizards in her home.

Petunia shrugged slightly, "To be frank, I'm not really sure myself. I heard a scuffle down here and woke Vernon. I was afraid it might be _them_ looking for Harry." Her voice quivered slightly but remained even as she finished speaking.

Dumbledore nodded and inclined his head towards the woman. Remus on the other hand was taken aback by the naturalness that she spoke of Harry. _'For someone who apparently detested the boy, she sure is comfortable speaking of him._'

"When I came down I saw two masked men trying to break into the china cabinet. I screamed loudly in fear and grabbed a frying pan from the counter. Vernon came running and the two men ran off. They left a mess, as you can see." Petunia said as she gestured around the room. A window was shattered as was one of the French doors that led to the patio. The contents of some of the drawers of the china cabinet were strewn about the room and a large dent was in the wall with a frying pan below.

"Vernon was furious and accused Harry of coming back and trying to steal from us. I snapped and told him he was an idiot and that I knew what I saw. The fight escalated from there and then you all showed up. I had hoped you would, I sent the message as soon as I heard the people downstairs." Petunia finished. She glanced down at her hands and dropped her head. "I can't do it anymore Albus," she said softly.

Dumbledore reached across the table and took on of her hands in his own. "I understand dear. If you would like I can take you from this home and place you in another. It would be full of witches and wizards however," he made his offer with a sincere voice.

Petunia looked up and gazed at him for a moment. Remus had to stifle a snort. '_Like she would ever accept such an offer! Staying with magic folk is quite beneath _her _status in life!_'

Suddenly Petunia was crying, though not with sadness as Remus would have expected. "You can do that? You can get me out of this life?!" She was _excited_. Remus sat back in shock and Dumbledore nodded.

"I can and all you have to do is say the word my dear."

"Yes."

"Wait!" Remus said suddenly having came to his senses. "Wait just one moment! Who are you and where is Petunia Dursely?!" He asked accusingly. Petunia was taken aback and began to sputter an answer.

"I-I—well I-," Dumbledore cut her off by raising his hand and shaking his head.

"For another time Remus, for another time." He said simply. "Go get your things Petunia, we'll be right here waiting."

Petunia slowly rose from her seat, eyeing the two men as she did. She paused a moment and for a second a glimmer of hope reached her face.

Once she had left the room Remus turned to the older man and glared. "Albus! We could potentially be taking a Death Eater to headquarters! Aren't you the least bit concerned with making sure she is Petunia Dursley?!"

The professor leaned back in his chair, "Let me reassure you Remus that the woman before us was indeed Petunia Dursley, though I have a feeling that it soon with be Petunia Evans. Make no mistake; I have closely watched this family for years, long enough to know how Petunia was treated, and long enough to know who she desperately wanted to be for all these years. What you've just witnessed is the real Petunia meeting her breaking point. I believe that once away from her husband we both might find her to be quite pleasant."

Remus shrunk slightly, "I understand sir but you must understand where I'm coming from! And what about Harry? What are we going to tell him? How is he going to react to his "loving" aunt becoming a permanent resident of Grimuald Place?"

"I can assure you Lupin, that I love that boy as if he were my own." A small voice said from behind him. Remus whipped around to see Petunia in the doorframe with a sad look on her face. "I may have not shown it, but for the sake of his life and my own I kept it locked inside."

Remus blushed and stammered an apology, "Petunia I… I'm sorry. I… well to be frank I wasn't sure you were capable after what I've seen. Believe me when I say I believe you now, but understand I was only thinking for the wellbeing of Harry."

Petunia hung her head, "I've done things that I'm not proud of, things that I'll never be able to right. There are things that I should have stood up for, things that I shouldn't have been afraid to do or say. I wish I could go back and fix it all, but then if I could then I wouldn't have let Lily die."

Remus swallowed hard and looked at Dumbledore. The older man stood slowly and beckoned for Petunia to join them. "Petunia, everyone has skeletons in their closet, it is time that yours be cleaned out." With that he linked arms with her and apparated to the park near Grimuald place.

…

A few hours later Petunia found herself in small, dingy room that was large enough for a bed, a wardrobe, and a makeup table. It wasn't the luxurious home she once had, but she already loved it more than her previous home. In this place she was finally free, free to be Petunia Evans, free to care for whoever she wanted, free to bring warmth back into her harden heart.

It was no secret that she hadn't treated Harry properly. Often she found herself getting caught up in the façade of "hating his freakishness" that she would become the wife Vernon always wanted. She always knew when she went too far because Vernon would give her praise on how she would handle things. It was those days that she cried herself to sleep at night, wondering how she could have done it, how she could have let herself get so out of hand.

Living with those regrets was probably the hardest thing for her to do in life. Pretending to love the family Vernon created was the second after that. Now however there was hope for her and Petunia could feel it in her bones.

She unpacked the last of her clothes and sat down at the makeup table. The mirror in front of her gave a quick giggle and Petunia nearly fell out of her chair in shock. Breathing heavily she scrambled backwards onto her bed. The mirror laughed again and said, "Dear don't be afraid. I am after all, just a mirror!"

Petunia stared ahead but said nothing. Either she was incredibly tired and was hallucinating or the mirror actually was talking to her. Both choices were quite possible considering this was a magic household. Her face paled slightly as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Who are you?" She asked in a whisper.

The mirror chuckled, "I'm just a mirror. You may call me what you wish. Often I'm called Charles or Gregory."

Petunia shook her head slowly. "I'll stick with mirror."

"Aw, but where's the fun in that?" The mirror protested.

"Who says I want fun? I don't deserve fun." She replied solemnly. Quietly she pulled her legs up onto the bed and sat with her legs folded beneath her.

"Oh my pretty, you deserve a lot of fun in life. From your soul I can see a scarred and tried woman, a woman who hasn't seen a lot of good. You need to make a new name for yourself, a fresh start." The mirror replied softly.

Petunia looked straight at the mirror and watched as it shimmered. No longer did she see the reflection of a tired, harried looking woman, but rather it was herself with a large, toothy smile that reached her eyes. She looked happy and content with life, a far cry from what she currently felt. In fact, she couldn't even remember the last time she looked like that, if she ever had.

"I'm afraid that isn't possible, not yet at least." There was sorrow in her voice this time as she looked away from her reflection.

"Dear anything's possible. A friend of mine once said that happiness can be found, even in the darkest of places, if one only remembers to turn on the lights. All you have to do is make your life better, but then again you've already taken the first step, haven't you?"

Petunia gave a small smile, "Perhaps I have. Call me Petunia and I'll call you Rory."

"Rory? May I ask how you came about to that name?" Rory asked curiously.

"My younger sister could never say mirror so often she referred to them as 'rory'." Petunia said fondly. For a brief moment she allowed herself to go back in time to when things were simple and all she had to worry about was trying to teach Lily how to say 'mirror'.

"Then it's perfect!"

Petunia laid back onto the bed and felt her eyes drift shut. She was certainly tired after the events this morning. She was just about to fall asleep when a knock sounded at her door. Suppressing a sigh she climbed out of her bed and made her way to the door.

Quickly she turned the handle and opened the door and was met with a shorter woman. She had fiery red hair and a pleasant smile.

"Good morning deary!" She said softly, "I've been instructed to bring you down to the kitchen for some breakfast and then a quick meeting with Professor Dumbledore. Are you ready now or would you like me to come back in a few minutes?"

Petunia glanced back into the room making sure she was done unpacking. She returned her gaze to the kind woman and said, "I'm ready now, thank you. I do appreciate you doing this for me, I'm sure I'd be lost in an instant."

The woman smiled and Petunia followed through the home quietly. She supposed she should be trying to make small talk but a part of her just wanted to take in the house and try to figure out it's layout. Since her arrival she'd counted three possibly four stories and quite a few rooms. Their trip went down two floors and then finally down another flight of stairs into the basement.

As they descended the final few stairs she could hear a man yelling about a letter. It took a few seconds before she realized it was Remus. She hadn't remembered him being this ill-tempered before.

"… I _demand_ to know what this is about Albus! Why on Earth would I get a letter from Alex Lupin?" She heard him say harshly. In front of her the woman stopped suddenly as if she were unsure about entering the room. She turned around and motioned for Petunia to be quiet.

"Let's just let them have their little spat and then we can go in." She explained. Petunia only nodded, curious as to what they were arguing over.

"Remus I assure you I'm in the same position as you are. However if you would hand over the letter I can try my best to give you answers. Until then I can't offer you anything." Dumbledore said evenly.

"ALEX IS DEAD! He's been dead for years! I went to his bloody funeral! And who in the hell is Emma?" Remus bellowed loudly, clearly in distress.

Petunia felt her throat contract. She hadn't heard her daughter's name uttered in years, and now here it was in the same conversation as Alex, her god-father, the same Alex who was supposedly dead. If he was no longer alive then Emma must be dead too because she wasn't sent back to her and Vernon.

A thousand thoughts flew across her mind as she stomached the thought of them being dead. She let out a heart wrenching sob and took off up the stairs.

'_I have to get out of here. I have to get away! She can't be dead! My baby can't be dead!' _

Behind her she could hear the other woman coming after her but she didn't care. All she could think about was how she literally had no one left in her life. Her sobs began to send her into hysteria as she cried. With her vision blurred it was hard to make it up the stairs. Somewhere along the way she collided with another body. She tried to utter an apology but her lips weren't cooperating. Instead she just slumped to the ground and wrapped her arms around her legs and let out all of the anguish she'd build up over the past fifteen years.

"Aunt Petunia?"

…

**Just a few quick notes and then I'm off to edit Chapter 3!**

**1. Disclaimer: Anything recognizable belongs to Rowling. The only things I own are my few OC's and that's about it, really. **

**2. Reviews: I'd greatly appreciate feedback! What do you guys like? Hate? Want more of? Let me know! Also anonymous reviews are on so you don't even have to log in!**

**3. As it is looking, Chapter 3 should be around the same length as this one, maybe a bit shorter. I think for the most part I'm going to try and keep the chapters longer so the story can wrap up quicker. **


	3. 02

**Warning: The hints of abuse I mentioned comes into play in this chapter. Discretion is advised, but I will say it doesn't go into details, just mention of it.**

.02.

"Emma, are you ready for the truth?"

She almost hadn't heard him ask the question. He spoke so quietly she nearly mistook it for the wind. She unwrapped her arms from his body and slowly sunk to the ground across from him and crossed her legs. Part of hear was eager to know what was going on, but part of her was afraid of what that might entail.

Looking at her uncle she shrugged, "Only if you are, Alex. I won't force your hand on this."

Alex gave a small smile, "Thank Merlin for small miracles then, eh?"

Emma couldn't help herself and smiled. "I'm not that bad you git!" She said good-naturedly and smacked his arm.

Alex grinned widely and for a moment Emma nearly forgot that they were in the middle of the forest with little to their name and a home that was sure to be destroyed by now. All she could see was her uncle truly happy for a moment, traces of exhaustion momentarily erased.

Alex slowly let his smile fade as he glanced at his watch. "Fifteen minutes. I should be able to tell you the gist of it, and the rest when we are on foot. Hopefully Remus has gotten the letter by now and has alerted Dumbledore. If not we may be in a bit of a pinch, but that is for a later time. I'm going to repeat my earlier question; are you ready Emma?"

Emma nodded her head and gave a fierce look, "When am I ever not ready?"

Alex gave a half smile and let all the air out of his lungs. "That I won't grace with an answer. There is certainly a lot to tell and I'm not entirely sure where to begin. I suppose chronologically would work better, but understand that the earliest bits aren't my own memories; rather I know them by what I was told. That isn't to say that they aren't _true…_"

"Alex! You're stalling." Emma said as she placed a hand on his left knee. It was his usual tactic when he was preparing to give her bad news. The last time he did this was when her pet mouse was eaten by a snake in the woods. Often he would just ramble on and on until he'd given the bad news in a glazed over manner and you weren't exactly sure if you'd even gotten the news until you picked apart his longwinded speeches.

Alex glanced at his niece, "I suppose I am, yeah." He was quiet a moment before flicking a stone away from his leg. "Then I better quit stalling and start talking. Right so the beginning, let's go back to 1981. You'd just had your first birthday and displayed your first bit of powerful magic. Like most magical children you caught on at an early age, but unlike most you were incredibly talented before you even turned one."

Emma watched as he spoke, transfixed by the mention of her childhood. It was the first time she'd heard this and part of her wanted to shut him up and stay blissfully ignorant. The other part of her stifled that urge and listened eagerly as he continued on.

"The only problem with this power you possessed was the fact that you were born into a muggle household. Normally muggles adapt over time to this new world of magic and life is fine for the child. In your case your father displayed aggression and was planning on sending you to a family member who was quite violent. In fact that relative is currently in prison for beating a man to death over a pub tab. You would have been harmed or dead in no time." Alex paused and looked away from Emma. The revelation of the past was taking a further toll on him, Emma noted. He wasn't ready to share all of this with her, but then again Alex knew he probably wasn't ever going to be ready.

Emma on the other hand gasped quietly at what he had just revealed. Her own father, her own blood, was planning on making sure she suffered for something she couldn't even control. A deep burning sensation rose from the pit of her stomach as she began to grow angry at the man whom she'd never met.

"So your mother snuck you out of the home in the dead of night and brought you to her sister's home. There she pleaded with her to adopt you, legally giving up her guardianship of you. Your mother then became your aunt and your aunt your mother. It's kind of like a bad soap opera if you think about it long enough…" Alex trailed off, lost in thought.

Emma shifted on the ground, unsure of how to take all of this in. So she had a mother and an abusive father. Her mother gave her up to her aunt and now her aunt was her mother. Alex was right; it was like a soap opera.

"If all went according to plan you wouldn't remember Petunia at all and you would only know Lily as your mother. This was the safest plan and it nearly worked except for one small problem. I've told you about the night Voldemort was taken down, correct?"

Emma nodded. "Yes, Harry Potter was somehow able to survive the night both his parents were murdered by Voldemort. This all came from a betrayal in the family that you say wasn't Sirius Black, although the evidence against him is plentiful."

Alex frowned, "Sirius is innocent!"

"I'm making a point to stay open minded." Emma replied while rolling her eyes.

Alex rolled his back, "That's a matter we can discuss later."

Emma turned her head and glanced at their surroundings. The sun was rising steadily and the pre-dawn feel was seeping away. It must be nearing mid to late morning already, she pondered silently.

"What does my new life have to do with Harry Potter?" Emma asked finally.

"Well that's a bit complicated… Actually it isn't considering there's a whole host of things I haven't even _begun_ to go into yet. For instance your original last name was Dursley. Kind of a wretched name, not very pleasing to the tongue. I suppose it's an acquired name really… Then again becoming a Potter is a pleasant step up…" Alex continued to ramble as he idly picked apart a leaf, making a pointed effort to not look at his niece.

Emma on the other hand was in the middle of a debate on whether or not to slap the man she called an uncle so that he would quit rambling and get to the point. She was nearly about to when she heard the last bit of his tangent. Her blood ran cold and she froze instantly.

'_I'm a Potter? A Potter? As in James and Lily and the infamous Harry Potter? No, this is a joke and Alex is just pranking me. It's a damn good one too…´_She tried to rationalize the situation in various other ways but there was always one nagging thought in her mind. No matter how large the prank, no matter how badly Alex wanted to pull one over on her, he wouldn't ever go to this large of an extreme, and there was the hexes being shot at them as they left.

Alex sensing what he'd caused decided that it was a perfect time to start unwarding the area. Silently he stood and walked a few paces behind Emma and began chanting, wand in the air. Emma watched this and remained silent.

This was all too much to take in, Emma decided. She should have stopped Alex from his story, she should have said she wasn't ready. The old adage "ignorance is bliss" was a perfect fit to what she felt now.

Trying to process what was said, Emma ran through it in her mind one more time. '_I have one father whose a grade-a jerk, a mother who sacrificed being a mother for my own safety, an aunt whose not an aunt anymore and a uncle whose not an uncle anymore, my "new" parents are dead, I don't know about the old ones, and apparently I have one hell of a famous brother!'_

While she was lost in thought Alex had finished unwarding the area and had walked over to her. Gently he touched her shoulder causing her to start.

"Sorry Emma, but it's time to run. We have approximately one minute to get to the cave before the Death Eaters figure out I've taken down the wards." He explained and grabbed his bag. Slinging it over his shoulder he offered a hand to his niece.

Emma accepted the hand and let herself be pulled up. She bent over and grabbed her bag as well. Looking at Alex she nodded signaling she was ready. Alex nodded back and they both took off in a dead sprint towards the cave.

The woods became a blur of brown and green that slowly faded into grey. The air got significantly colder once her feet began to hit stone. The cave itself was just down a slight hill and around a large oak tree. It was barely tall enough for her and Alex to stand up straight in and was just wide enough for them to stand side by side. What it lacked in width and height it made up for in length. Emma peered to the back of the cave only to be met with darkness. Turning her attention to Alex she noted that he was only slightly out of breath, which was surprising considering the shape he was in after building up the wards earlier.

"That was exhilarating!" He gasped slightly with a large grin.

Emma rolled her eyes. Leave it to Alex to find running for their _lives_ exhilarating. She on the other hand thought it was tiring and had to bend slightly at her waist and rest her hands on her knees. "How in the hell can you be peachy and I'm gasping like a beached whale?" She muttered glaring.

Alex flashed a grin and a mischievous look, "Breathing charms work well for exercising!"

"You git! I'm over here dying and you think it's bloody hilarious!" Emma gasped. Part of her wanted to remain angry at him, taking out her frustration of the current situation on him, but a larger part of her succumbed to the hilarity of the situation. She collapsed into a fit of giggles and sat on the floor of the cave. Alex merely shrugged in response.

"You didn't ask," He replied.

"I'm never getting up before nine ever again, mark my words." She vowed dramatically.

…

"Aunt Petunia?" Harry asked in shock. He'd been awoken by a yelling match that he was sure the entire neighborhood could hear and was on his way to investigate when he'd collided with someone on the stairs. He was still quite groggy having only went to sleep a few hours before and wasn't entirely sure what he was seeing was reality. Blinking rapidly he watched as his aunt sunk to the ground and continued to sob.

Despite their rocky history, Harry knew he needed to calm her down before she had a panic attack. He vaguely recalled the last time she had a panic attack. He was about five or six and Uncle Vernon had to shake her violently to get her to calm down. Afterwards he took her to the doctor to be evaluated. Vernon blamed Harry, like he always did, and Harry spent the next four days locked in his "room".

Quickly he dropped to his knees beside her and gently placed one hand on her right shoulder. "Aunt Petunia you need to breathe, okay?"

He was met with another choking sob. He turned his free hand so that it was palm side up, "Breathe in," He said clearly and brought his hand up. "Breathe out," he brought his hand back down and continued this for a moment. "Slow breaths, Aunt Petunia." He said softly.

Slowly her breathing became normal and Petunia felt her chest relax and her hysteria subside. Glancing up she made eye contact with her nephew and for an instant she was lost in his eyes. The same eyes he shared with his mother used to calm her down in this exact manner when they were children and Petunia was prone to panic attacks. It had been years since her last one and she had nearly forgotten how frightening and scary they could be.

Harry sat back on his heels and offered his aunt a hand. "Let's get you somewhere a bit more comfortable. Would you like to go to the kitchen and get some tea?"

Petunia nodded, "Th-that wi-i-ill calm-m my n-nerves." She said shakily. Her heart very desperately wanted to continue to sob and go back to that state of hysteria, but her mind was urging her to pick herself up and stop making a fool of herself. The rational corner of her brain tried to reassure her that the chance that Emma was dead was incredibly small, but then again if Alex was in fact dead, then there wasn't much room for hope.

Harry grabbed her elbow and slowly led her back down the stairs. He passed Mrs. Weasley who smiled at him affectionately, "Such an angel you are, Harry! Be careful, I think they are still having a row."

Harry rolled his eyes, "I don't particularly care what is so important, they can at least try to be adults. Besides I've got a bit more important matters on my hands. So I'll take my chances, but thanks for the heads up." Between the confliction of his Aunt being here and his utter exhaustion Harry was on the brink of letting his grumpy side out.

"They are acting a bit childish, which is something I never thought I'd ever say about Remus and Albus." Mrs. Weasley agreed. "I'm going to go wake the others if they haven't been already from those two."

Harry continued down the stairs with his aunt. '_It's Remus and Dumbledore fighting? Then it has to be big._' Suddenly he wasn't so keen on letting the mysterious arguing couple have it. Beside him he felt his Aunt continue to calm down. He knew that he needed to get her to somewhere seated and get her some tea, just like he used to watch her do when she felt particularly stressed. Frowning slightly he pushed open the door to the kitchen and cleared his throat.

Remus stopped mid-sentence, red faced, and whirled around. "What?!" He spat before realizing who it was. His face softened and his face paled slightly. "Oh, my. I'm so terribly sorry, I didn't mean to snap." He spoke softly, hiding any trace of anger. Across from him the professor simply folded his hands and inclined his head.

"Yes Harry?" He asked calmly.

"Er… Well I need to make some tea and my Aunt could use a seat. You'll have to forgive the interruption, but can you take it elsewhere?" Harry spoke uncertainly as he watched his Aunt take a seat at the table, legs shaking as she went. He knew she was in bad shape, and he intended to get to the bottom of what triggered such a reaction. He hardly doubted being in the presence of magic would do the trick, especially since she'd lived with someone magical all of her life.

Dumbledore nodded, "We are finished here. If you excuse me I have a matter to investigate." With that he stepped into the large fireplace and was gone in an instant. Remus stood in wonder, mouth agape, obviously not done with the argument. Stiffly he took a seat beside Petunia and buried his head in his hands.

"Tea for three it is…" Harry muttered as he turned to the stove. A kettle was already on the stove so he quickly filled it with water and set it on the flames. Turning back he observed the sad duo that was seated at the large oak table.

Deciding to let them be for a moment Harry fetched a tea pot and some cups. He placed the tea leaves into the kettle as it came to a whistle and let it steep for a moment. '_I should probably let it steep for a long time. I have a feeling this is going to require some strong tea to soothe them both.'_

…

They sat in silence for nearly five minutes before a quiet crack sounded followed by two dull thuds. Emma started, nearly letting out a scream. Alex sensed this and quickly placed his hand over her mouth. Quietly he shushed her and whispered so low she had to strain to hear each word, "We don't want to give out position away. Listen closely. If you hear an owl then it's safe, no owl means stay as quiet as possible and prepare to fight."

Emma nodded and Alex removed his hand from her mouth. With it he quietly pulled his wand from his pocket and crouched slightly, wand at the ready. Emma followed suit. Her heart was beating rapidly and she forced her breathing to remain even. She'd never been in this situation before, and currently she was terrified. She glanced sideways at Alex and was amazed at how calm he appeared.

Closing her eyes she listened carefully for the hoot of an owl. Moments later a soft hoot floated into the cave, echoing as it went. Emma froze for a moment and nearly jumped in delight. They were safe!

Alex breathed a sigh of relief and repeated the call. Seconds later a tall figure stood at the mouth of the cave. He greeted them warmly, "Alex, Emma, I hope that you are doing well, all things considered."

"Just fine Albus, really just eager to get out of this place and to safety." Alex replied. He wrapped his arm around Emma and moved forward.

"As I figured; grab a hold of this beaters bat and in a few seconds we will be taken to a secure location." Dumbledore replied and pulled the bat from his robes. Gingerly he extended it and the other two eagerly grabbed a section.

A pulling sensation hit Emma as she was suddenly ripped from the ground, spinning rapidly through time. Her surroundings blew by in a blur. The ordeal only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like a lifetime. As suddenly as it began, Emma felt her feet hit the ground hard, ending the trip. She'd never really liked traveling by portkey, having only done it twice before, and this was no exception. Her knees buckled and she struggled to remain vertical. Beside her the two elder men stood perfectly erect and appeared to be unfazed.

Alex was the first to speak after a pregnant silence. "Is this where he stayed during it?" It was an odd question, Emma noted, but Dumbledore appeared to know what he meant. She glanced around her to see a graying room with shredded wooden paneling on the walls. The floorboards were in equal distress, some even missing. Around the room lay bits of furniture, savagely shredded and strewn about. Wherever they were, it had definitely seen better days.

With a nod the professor replied, "Indeed, Remus called this place home many a time. However, it is magically protected and perfect for a quick debriefing as well as a warning."

Emma furrowed her brow in confusion. "Can someone please fill me in? Who is Remus and what exactly is this place?"

Dumbledore glanced at Alex before shrugging, "I suppose it's not really my place to say, is it Alex?"

Alex rolled his eyes, "It's not exactly a secret!"

"Then why don't I know?!" Emma said in desperation. "If it's not a secret why am I in the dark? Or is it another stupid fact about my life that I don't know?" She spat, instantly regretting it. She'd let her anger and frustration get the better of her. Emma looked down, "Sorry, I just…" She trailed off, not sure how to finish. She was sorry for a lot of things at that moment, not just for snapping.

Alex flinched visibly, "Not quite…"

Emma's eyes snapped back to the man she called her uncle and she looked at him expectantly.

Sensing this Alex sighed and began to explain, "Remus is my younger brother, ten years my junior. I haven't brought him up before because he broke off contact and never replied to a single letter, which is why I'm surprised you are even here Albus." Alex turned to the older man as he finished.

"That has a relatively easy explanation, though the justification for the explanation isn't quite as simple. This is actually what I've been meaning to tell you since we arrived. Perhaps we should all take a seat in the living area." Dumbledore replied before ushering them through a small doorway. The living area was much the same as the room they were in previously, but the furniture was more intact and in visible chunks. With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore conjured up three chairs.

Emma sat with a sigh. "If you are going to tell me about my long lost family then don't bother. I've already covered that portion of this giant mystery today."

Dumbledore smiled and inclined his head. "No, no, not quite, but it is good to hear that you've been informed. The matter that I have to speak of relates to Remus and why he hasn't returned any messages you may have sent him, Alex."

Alex's head perked at the sound of his name. Emma could tell that he hadn't been listening up to that point, probably lost in his thoughts like she had been for much of the day. '_Or rather hours. It's probably not even ten yet…'_

The professor sat in one of the chairs and made himself comfortable. Once he was settled he continued on, "Now, Alex, what I'm about to divulge is probably going to be hard to handle as well as a bit infuriating. I wish to express that there wasn't much choice in the matter considering the situations that caused you to go into hiding. It was the only fool-proof way of keeping you safe from harm, other than the fidelius that was already implemented. It is quite curious as to why you were compromised, but that will be saved for a later time."

Emma noted that the older man acted just as Alex did when delivering news, skirting around the topic and creating a diversion. She had a sneaking suspicion that what he was about to say was huge, and he was just trying to soften it up before dropping the bomb on them both.

Alex narrowed his eyes slightly as the professor kept talking, but chose to say nothing. Instead he focused on keeping his temper even. It wouldn't have been the first time the Order had meddled with his life, '_And it probably won't be the last. No sense of getting excited over something now._' Despite his best attempts, Alex continued to feel his patience wane.

"As for the matter at hand, again it wasn't because we _wanted _to do it; it was an _obligation_ to keep you both safe. It appeared that the night the Potter's were attacked, so were you. Only a handful of people, three really, know the truth of what happened, and those are the same people who kept the cottage hidden. To Remus you are dead, and have been so for the last fourteen years. Once you started writing to him we had no choice but to intercept the letters until you eventually gave up. It wasn't an enjoyable task, and it is one that I have regretted doing for a long while." Professor Dumbledore finished with a great sigh and Emma glanced at both him and her uncle. Both looked vulnerable at that moment, both with a heavy sadness weighing on them.

Alex let his head drop into his hands and a sigh escaped his lips. At that moment he wasn't sure if he should be happy that his younger brother didn't hate him or resent him, or angry that his life thus far had been fabricated to a certain extent. He was torn emotionally, and with the events leading up to this moment he thought it best to move on.

Emma watched closely, knowing that neither men were going to break the silence. She knew it would be up to her to do so. She cleared her throat lightly, "If I may, not to change subjects abruptly, but if that's the case then how exactly did we get found? I know you said it was a matter for later, but if you did indeed have a fidelius charm in place, how were we discovered?"

Alex lifted his head and let his lips form a smile. '_Leave it to Emma to keep things moving. I owe her one…'_

Dumbledore pondered a moment, surprised at how quickly Emma had caught on to what he'd said, "For that there is only one explanation and it isn't one that I'd like to believe until I have proof. Mr. Blithe, the man who often comes to evaluate your progress educationally, is acting as your secret keeper. To this day only two people, counting myself, know your whereabouts, plus Mr. Blithe. That is unless Mr. Blithe was forced to divulge that information."

"So you're saying that he is probably dead or being tortured." Emma said bluntly.

"That is precisely what I'm saying, Ms. Potter. Unfortunately I have no proof of this matter, but the probability of it being true is high. Barnabas isn't the type to be a spy, nor would he willingly or carelessly give out the safe house's location." The professor replied.

Emma let that hang in the air a moment before questioning him again, "Why exactly did I have to be hidden?"

Alex chose that moment to interrupt. He'd been fine letting the two have their talk, but he wasn't ready for Emma to have to deal with that. "Albus, not now. She's had a rough day already."

"I'm afraid that I'm going to have to add to it. It's important she knows before we leave for headquarters. I'm sure Remus has already filled everyone in that a mysterious Emma and his dead brother have contacted him. Petunia is already there and between the two of them they ought to be able to piece it together. Emma shouldn't go in without being aware." Dumbledore reasoned.

Emma looked at her uncle, "I'll be fine. I can handle it, I promise."

Alex looked away, "To hell with what they know. I'm begging you, don't bring it up, not yet."

"Alex, I promise I will be fine!" Emma exclaimed. She was starting to lose her patience with him and the professor. "I just want to know what they hell is so secretive about my life!"

Alex frowned but said nothing. Emma rolled her eyes, "For once in your life don't be stubborn? How bad could it be? I already have a secret family that hates me and wants be dead, and one that's already dead. I think I can handle whatever else you throw at me!"

"Don't be so sure." He said in reply. He hadn't meant for it to come out with so much venom, and instantly he felt guilty. His eyes met Emma's and he watched her face turn to anger.

Before a full-fledged fight could break out Dumbledore cleared his throat. "What you are asking Ms. Potter, is a very sensitive area. I will tell you, but understand that it's nothing you can prepare yourself for."

Emma sighed, "Nothing I've heard today I could have prepared for!"

Dumbledore chose to ignore that comment and instead sat straighter in his chair. "You are being hunted by the darkest wizard of all time. Not many knew about your adoption for this very reason. James and Lily had a bounty on their heads since their marriage and by association you did too. To protect you only a select few knew about it. At the time it was your parent's secret keeper Peter Pettigrew, told only so that he could keep your whereabouts secret under the fidelius charm, Harry's godfather Sirius Black who made daily visits to bring news and supplies, and your godfather Alex, for obvious reasons."

Emma furrowed her brows. Alex was her godfather? It made sense, the more she thought about it, but at the same time she'd always known and seen him as her uncle. What's more was that she swore she heard the older man say _Pettigrew_ was the secret keeper. Pushing that aside she listened to him as he continued.

"We were sworn to secrecy to keep you a secret. In the event that your parents were killed then Voldemort wouldn't know about you and wouldn't want to go after you to get to Harry. So he couldn't use you as a trap or bait to lure Harry away from safety. Voldemort wouldn't hesitate to use you, Harry's sister. He's already tried to use Sirius to get to him."

"So if Pettigrew was the secret keeper, like you say, he ratted me out. If Sirius wasn't the keeper then he's innocent and not a Death Eater, so he wouldn't have reason to say anything, and I highly doubt you would be here telling me this if you were the one to spill the beans." Emma spoke with confidence, despite her uncertainty of what she was saying.

Dumbledore nodded, "Precisely. " With a wink he added, "I'm grateful for your confidence in me, Ms. Potter."

Emma sat back and let it all sit in. She was being hunted, and that's why they suddenly were being attacked. "But why would the Death Eater's wait to get to me? They just knocked on the door!"

Dumbledore frowned at this and turned to Alex. "Is this true?"

Alex nodded with a sour look. "Yes, and once they figured out I had warded the house off again they were pissed off and started flinging hexes against the house until they finally broke through a wall."

Dumbledore sat quietly with a look of concentration on his face. "Then they must not have had all the wards down. Or they were hoping to distract you long enough to come in another way. I'll have to look into it."

Alex shook his head, "There's no need. I've been thinking and it seems to me that some of the wards were still partially intact. If I opened the door and they hadn't used force then you wouldn't have been alerted if something happened. Only a forceful entry would trigger the alarms, so it was imperative that I opened it by will. They probably were betting on ignorance and hoped I wouldn't use the peep hole. Once I saw them I put of a few other wards quickly that held on long enough for us to leave."

The professor nodded, "That is plausible. That ward would logically be the last left because it is one of the more complex ones." He paused and glanced at his wrist, checking the time. "We should be heading back soon. I trust you have all of your things?"

Alex nodded, "We got what was important, one bag a piece."

"Good, prepared thinking, Alastor would be proud." He flashed a smile and stood up. "I must warn you that when we get there it isn't going to be the warmest of welcomes. In fact if I had to bet I would say that it will be incredibly tense. Your biological mother will be there, Emma, and your brother, Alex."

"Oh joy!" Emma muttered sarcastically. It was exactly what they needed, more drama.

…

Harry sat the tea cups in front of the two adults and quietly poured the tea into each one until it was just below the brim. He took his place opposite them and took a sip of his own tea, careful not to burn himself too bad. In front of him Petunia did the same and gave an appreciative look.

"Strong, just like I like it." She said quietly. The sudden sound of her voice snapped Remus from his daze and he glanced around the room before settling on the cup in front of him. Rather than sip he took a long gulp before placing the empty tea cup back on the table. If the atmosphere had been any different Harry probably would have let the laugh escape his chest. '_Look at me, playing bartender!'_

"Pardon the prying, but what exactly has you two all stirred up? One is having a panic attack and one is about to go to blows with my headmaster." He spoke swiftly before taking another drink of his tea. Glancing at Remus he filled up the empty tea cup and sat back in his chair.

Remus looked at Petunia before sighing. "I received a letter from my dead brother today." He replied simply.

Harry frowned, "Your brother? I didn't know you had a brother!"

"The key word in that sentence is 'had'. That is unless I was lied to because until now I was under the impression that he was six feet under like everyone else in my life. And now I get a bloody letter saying he needs help. Why do you need help if your dead?!" His voice gradually grew louder as he spoke and his face grew to a pale shade of red.

Harry knew how hard this must be for him. If he'd suddenly got a letter that was supposedly from his parents, he probably would have found who sent it and throttled them. It wasn't something to joke about. "Could it be Death Eater?" He reasoned.

Remus shook his head, "I thought so at first, but then I kept reading. He made a reference to the mirror he bought your father, Sirius, and I for graduation. The one that Sirius gave you over Christmas break. Alex had one too and that's how we communicated. No one but us knew about them, for obvious reasons."

Petunia choked at something Remus said. Fearing it would spark another panic attack, Harry spoke up. "Aunt Petunia? Are you alright?"

She stifled a sob and shook her head, "I don't know what I am. There is just too much going on and I don't know what to make out to be real."

Harry exchanged a worried glance with Remus. Remus placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and addressed Harry. "We picked her up a few hours ago. Someone broke into Privet Drive and stole some items and left the kitchen a mess. A fight broke out between your aunt and uncle and subsequently Petunia left. It's been quite a roller coaster."

Harry glanced between the two and narrowed his eyes, "What exactly do you mean a fight?"

Petunia sighed, "Nothing really. Vernon was being ignorant and I threw a frying pan at him and he charged me, but missed, and ended up in the wall. It was my last straw and I left, for good…"

"Left as in, you're never going back to him or Dudley?" Harry said with a confused look. "But they were your world!"

A harsh laugh erupted from his Aunt causing him to start. "I pretended they were, just so that oaf of a man wouldn't get to upset and do something rash. I hate them both! They are the same bloody person with no regard for anyone but themselves and I hate them!"

Harry cringed and looked down at his tea. '_What I wouldn't give for something a bit stronger…_'

"That _man_ cost me the only thing I loved in life, and because of him she's gone!" Petunia wailed miserably. "It was a mistake marrying that man, but I was so desperate for my own identity, so desperate to be something other than the witch's sister, that I said yes. It was miserable but I had no choice but to stay, especially after Emma. My beautiful baby!" She dissolved into tears at that moment and laid her head in her arms.

Remus and Harry exchanged glances again. Harry mouthed the word 'Emma' to Remus who shrugged, but had a look of contemplation on his face.

'_Emma? Who is she? Petunia didn't have a daughter, only a son, Dudley. She must be delusional or something after the panic attack…'_ Harry thought to himself. He was about to bring this up when Remus interrupted him, a look or revelation on his face.

"Emma? Would that be the same Emma that my brother was referring too?" He asked quietly. Harry wasn't sure where this was going, but part of him was intrigued, so he sat back and let them talk.

Petunia nodded, "Yes! And now she's dead! Lily promised that Alex wouldn't let anything harm her! But he's dead and so is she!" Her breathing was slowly becoming erratic again and she knew she was going to have another panic attack if she didn't calm herself down. She closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing, '_In… Out…. In… Out…' _Her chest was slowly tightening and her mind was starting to go into panic mode. She concentrated harder on her breathing, willing herself to calm down.

Two hands placed themselves on her shoulders as Harry positioned himself behind her. "Nice and easy Aunt Petunia, slow breaths, just like earlier. In… Out… that's it!"

Remus got up and headed to a cupboard. He rummaged around a moment while Harry was coaching his aunt. Finally he found what he was looking for—a small blue vial. Taking long strides, he made his way back to the table and quickly dropped three small droplets of the liquid into Petunia's tea. Gently he stirred it up and then brought it to her lips. "Small sips, Petunia. This will help calm you down."

Petunia complied and the calming potion began to work within her body. Instantly her chest loosened and her airway was no longer constricted. She took a deep breath and let it out again. "Thank you." She said before taking another sip of the tea. "It's all so overwhelming, and I haven't had a panic attack in almost ten years."

Remus sat back at the table, followed by Harry. "You're welcome, Aunt Petunia. You don't have to speak any more about it, and I can take you back to your room if you want."

Petunia shook her head, "I need to face it. If I just keep avoiding it I'm just going to suffer more of those."

"If you're sure," Harry replied.

"I am dear," She said back. "I need to face the history."

Harry furrowed his brow, "And what exactly is this history?"

Petunia paused a moment, "Well I'm not entirely sure you are ready for that, ironically."

Harry rolled his eyes, "After what I've gone through these past few years, I doubt I wouldn't be able to handle it."

"Very well, but I warned you." She replied before pausing to take a deep breath. This whole scenario was eerily similar to the one she had with her sister all those years ago. In fact she planned on starting the same way she had with Lily, by apologizing. "First however, before I start, I want to make one thing quite clear. What I tell you later on will solidify what I tell you first." She began vaguely, staring down into her mug.

Harry opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it, '_Speak first, question later.'_

"I want you to know that if the situation had been any different, even the slightest bit, the way I treated you and the way I let you be treated would never have happened. This isn't excusing my behavior, but believe me it is one the things I regret most in my life. I had this same conversation with your mother, not long before you arrived at my home, and I apologized then for doing the same things I did now, the only difference is that this time I had little choice. It is ironic that the thing I vowed never to do is exactly what I did." Petunia sighed and looked at her nephew, peering into his eyes. "I wish I had more courage to stand up to Vernon before now, maybe then life wouldn't have been so hellish for you. I wish I hadn't feared him so much that I let my own blood be a victim of his power."

Harry stared at her with narrow eyes, hardly daring to believe she was approaching the subject that haunted him daily. "Continue," He said coldly. Part of him was furious that she was apologizing _now_ for everything, at age 16, after he no longer had to endure the constant verbal attacks, physical threats from his uncle, physical abuse from his cousin, the starvation, and the seclusion. She couldn't have stopped it and yet she was _apologizing_ for it after the fact!

Petunia flinched visibly. She knew she deserved much, much worse for the things that had occurred in Number 4, Privet Drive. With a slight hesitation she felt herself continue, as if on autopilot, "I had Emma in May, two months before your mother had you. At first she was like any normal muggle baby. That is until she suddenly grew her hair back hours after her first haircut. Her magic grew over time, just as Lily's had, and I knew then that we were in trouble. Vernon was oblivious for the longest time, that for which I am grateful. It wasn't until she summoned her pacifier did he find out. He arranged for her to be sent to his cousin of some degree, a man who had worse anger issues than Vernon and a long history of violence. In fact he's currently in prison for beating a man to his death. So you see I couldn't let Vernon send her to him."

Remus interrupted at that moment with a look of revelation on his face. "So you took him to Lily who sent you to Alex, am I right?"

Harry's ears perked at the mention of his mother. He had been too wrapped up in trying to figure out how Petunia had a daughter and son within two months of each other.

Petunia shook her head, "Not quite, but that's the gist of it. I went to Lily and we worked out a plan. She and James adopted Emma, legally with a blood contract, and I no longer had a daughter. Lily and James were the new parents of Emma Potter. I returned home and Vernon went on with life as if nothing had changed. I hated him for that, but then again I hated him more for what was to come. He'd found a boy that was about Emma's age and we adopted him. He was easily passed off for our son after we moved to a new neighborhood. Vernon had very little family left and those he kept in contact with never met Emma so it was easy to tell them that we had a boy not a girl, and that they were crazy."

"So how exactly does this fit in with me being treated like absolute shit?!" Harry exclaimed finally. His patience was wearing thin and he was tired of beating around the bush.

"Harry!" Remus snapped, preparing to scold him for his outburst. Petunia shushed them both with a wave of her hand.

"When you arrived on our doorstep I knew that our greatest fear had come true. According to Dumbledore Emma was sent to Alex, her godfather. Dumbledore expressed his wish for me to protect you and I complied, I owed as much to Lily. Vernon tried to throw you out but I fought with him to keep you." She stopped talking to catch her breath. Harry took that moment to roll his eyes, finding it hard to believe that she fought to keep him. He chose to remain silent however and let her continue.

"He relented but vowed to make life hard for the both of us. When he caught me paying too much attention to you I was…" She trailed off and looked down at her lap. This part was the one that would send her over the edge, if she let it. It wasn't one that she was particularly proud of, and often she was ashamed.

Remus swore quietly under his breath and in that instant Harry knew what she hadn't said. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't imagine how his aunt felt at that moment, if he felt so guilty for her. All those years of him being able to do magic and he chose to use it on Aunt Marge, a woman he wasn't even related too.

With a stronger voice Petunia continued, though she continued to look at her lap, "The beatings weren't frequent. I endured them so that you were treated equal and so that I could prove to Vernon that I was serious about taking care of you. He caught onto this and began threatening to harm you, and that's when I had the worst panic attack of my life, the one he blamed on you. After he was done with me he told me that he was going to you next, to teach us both a lesson…"

It was silent for a long moment as both Harry and Remus let it sink in. Harry swore loudly and slammed his fist on the table. "I'll teach him a lesson, alright!" He wanted so badly to hex the hell out of his uncle, to make him pay for harming his aunt.

"He's not worth the time Harry, trust me." Petunia spoke softly. Harry walked around to the other side of the table and brought her into a long hug.

"I'm incredibly sorry for how I've acted, and I forgive you, for what it's worth." He whispered. She hugged him back and let out a stifled sob. She couldn't use words to express how much that meant to her.

"I just wish I would have stood up to him earlier, got the police involved or something, just to get him away from you and Dudley." She bit back the venom that came with the name of her 'son'. "I wish I would have raised Dudley the way I wanted to, not by that charade that I was forced to endure over the years."

"You did what you could to keep them safe," Remus argued. "If you hadn't then the outcome could have been greatly different."

"It doesn't change the fact that I was a coward," She said softly.

Harry frowned, "You were no such thing. You were incredibly brave to give him what he wanted long enough to keep us all safe. I won't lie and say I didn't hate you then, but that doesn't matter. You are free now and that is what matters."

"I'm just ready for my life to start looking up, you know?" Petunia replied softly, gazing at her teacup.

"That's an easy fix," Remus said lightly. "You've managed one step by leaving the bastard. The next one is to forget him and make a new life based on what _you_ want."

"I know, and I've already begun step two. I've decided to divorce him and let him keep everything. One of the reasons I never left before was because I had nothing in my name. The house was in his, the bank account, the car. The only thing my name was attached too was that brat of a boy I adopted." Petunia explained once Harry had returned to his seat.

Harry smiled at the reference to his cousin. "That's not exactly something I would be proud of…"

Petunia returned that smile for a brief moment, "No, it's not really. I wouldn't have been able to support you two, not on my own at least. It was either that or endure being what Vernon wanted me to be so that you both had a roof over your heads."

It grew silent then, no one really sure what to say next. Petunia had gotten lost in thought and Harry busied himself with tracing the rings of tea left on the table.

Remus cleared his throat after a moment. He too had been lost in thought, but for a different reason. "You said Dumbledore told you she was sent with Alex, right?"

Petunia nodded, "In the letter he left with Harry."

"So that means he was alive to take her, that night I'm assuming."

"Logically yes," Harry replied. "Where exactly are you going with this Remus?"

"I was told Alex died before your parents were attacked, that same night. This is false if Emma was sent to him _after_ the attack. I've been lied to!" His voice had an oddly joyful tone, Harry noted.

"Being lied to isn't something I would be happy about, Remus." Harry stated.

"That means Alex is alive! And sent me that letter!" Remus explained with a bright look. Harry hadn't seen him so happy in a long while. For a brief moment the old Remus was sitting across from him, no longer worried about the war raging on outside.

"Then Emma must be as well!" Petunia exclaimed in equal excitement.

"That she is," A deep voiced sounded from the door. The three of them started and looked towards the door way to see a tall, aging man with brown hair that was flecked with gray. "Remus, it's good to see you after all these years."

…

**So writing and listening to A Very Potter Musical isn't recommended. I think I spent waaaay more time rewatching and laughing than I did writing! Totally worth it though!**

**Then again, what **_**are**_** you supposed to do when it's **_**snowing**_** outside, in Kansas, in May? Besides curling up into ball and hibernating, that is.**

**I would like to point out that this turned out to be waaay longer than I envisioned it being. **

**As always a review would be awesome! I'm not one of those authors who demands a certain number of reviews before another chapter, but I really would like to know what you all like about this and what I could change. **


	4. 03

.03.

"Dismissed." His voice was thick with a Russian accent as he stared intently at the group with his dark brown eyes. He stared a moment longer, shaking his head and sending his long black locks swinging, as if to say, _I wish it never had to come to this… _Quickly he bent over and collected a mound of papers with one hand and opened a bag with the other. In a swift motion he deposited the papers into the bag and straightened himself up. With a final glance around the room he nodded and headed out the door. Beside him, and equally tall man with dark and brooding features stood unblinking.

Sirius Black pushed his chair back from the table and got up slowly. Around him the rest of the attendees where following suit, some pausing to take up a conversation in their native tongue. With a soft sigh he headed out the door and down a long corridor. The headquarters he was at currently was much like his own at Grimmuald, dark and gloomy. This one however was mostly due to the fact that it was underground, tucked away in a cave. The walls and floor were made out of carved stone with a bit of moss beginning to grow over them.

If you asked him where he was, the only answer he could give was that he was somewhere in the middle of Russia. The exact location was only known by one man, and he wasn't telling. The only entrance to the headquarters was through a series of charmed portkey's, much like the one he wore around his neck. In fact they only answered to one the voice they are charmed with, and can only bring a maximum of one other person along.

Sirius was impressed with the amount of security that came with them. The first stop was in a room with no windows or doors. One you arrived a team of ten, sometimes fifteen wizards debriefed you and made sure you were in fact who you said you were. From there came three more rooms, much like the first, but with slightly different fail safes. In the second room you had to pass through a silvery mist that would cancel any glamor charms and the third room required a potion that counteracted any potions ingested that acted like the polyjuice potion. The fourth room was a low dosed truth serum to insure that you did what you were supposed to, and that you weren't caught in a lie.

_It might be paranoid, but it works. Especially with so many people from all over the world. We've got agents from Romania, China, Australia, Austria, France, and that's just a few I can readily think of. _

_Dumbledore should take a leaf out of their book, especially with our new spy. He won't say his suspicions, only that he knows we have one. The only problem is that Grimmuald isn't nearly as secure as this place. Sure we have the fidelius charm, but that can only go so far. It won't prevent spies, as is already proven. _

_We should also look into spreading out our HQ. This is one of four, and meetings rotate each time to places with as much security as this cave. It's not smart to have all our eggs in one basket, or rather intelligence. It would make spying harder and confuse the one we have. _

_I just can't believe we've already got a spy. _

At the end of the corridor he took a sharp right and continued for a few moments. He came to a solid oak door inscribed with a rune for warrior. The small arrow pointed up, and sent a small surge of hope through him. Warriors were brave and saved the one's they loved, exactly what he was about to do.

_Save them, forge an alliance, and go home. I miss it terribly, and I can't imagine how Harry's doing after being possessed by Voldemort. I wish Remus could tell me more, but that's not safe. The Death Eaters have been intercepting owls left and right, and now so is the Ministry. They aren't too keen on a rouge group doing their job. _

Sirius pushed the door open and was greeted with a brightly lit room. _Than Merlin for charms. I don't know how much longer I could have stayed sane in the gloom. _He shut the door softly behind him and took a seat at the desk he'd been provided with. Quickly he fished a parcel out from his pocket and let it drop to the desk. He let out a loud and frustrated sigh and leaned back in his chair.

_What am I supposed to do for eight more hours?_

He cursed under his breath and placed his hands on the desk. Sirius Black and patience were never used in the same sentence, unless paired with a word similar to 'nonexistent' or 'lacking'. He'd never been one to wait; he was always on the go.

_The longer I wait the more I overthink situations. I've already gone through five scenarios since lunch, and that was barely two hours ago._

Part of his frustration came from the lack of information they really had. He'd wanted to be more informed of the situation, what they were dealing with, but given the circumstances he supposed he was lucky that they knew anything at all. _I'd just like to know if the extraction is going to be on two confirmed alive. They were alive, a few days ago, but that can all change in a split second. _

He moved his hands from the desk and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was going to be a long few hours. The plan was to attack at dusk, flanking from all sides. Invisibility wasn't an option, not for an army as large as they were working with. The answer was laying on the table in front of him.

A gold chain shimmered in the light with a small medallion, no bigger than an knut. It was attached to a thin gold chain, similar to the portkey that hung loosely around his neck. The medallion was a variation of an illusion charm, where the one who wore it could stay hidden from anyone that it wasn't charmed to be present to.

Levka, the man in charge of the medallions, had referred to them as the Inviticum's. Sirius assumed it was Latin for something relating to what they do. _I'm not as brushed up on my Latin anymore, not since Azkaban. It wouldn't be too bad of an idea to refresh my memory…_

The Inviticum was incredibly unique in a number of ways. Levka noted that the charm was placed a total of three times, once before the medallion was submerged in a variety of potions, once between two of the potions, and once after. _They mean business, especially with how powerful these things appear. _

The medallion would allow them to be hidden from anyone with dark magic, meaning all Death Eaters couldn't see them because of the dark magic coursing through the dark mark. It also kept them safe from anyone with intent to harm their person.

He could literally walk down the middle of Diagon Alley and not a soul would notice him, not if he didn't want to. No one would feel the urge to glace around, locking in on him. They'd pass over him as if he wasn't even there.

_And the best part is that not even _our _group knows. The Russians have been developing this since the first war, and only a select few know. That's going to change soon, once the alliance is established. I'd hate to be in a fight against them, they have intelligence that I doubt even Dumbledore could dream of. _

The only downside was that Levka and his team hadn't yet been able to make them last longer than an hour, meaning their window of opportunity tonight was incredibly narrow.

_But who doesn't like a good challenge?_

…

It was a good thing that Remus wasn't hold his tea cup, because it most likely would have ended up on the floor with a crash. Harry turned at the sound of new voices, both in surprise and curiosity. He watched Remus closely, then his aunt, and was a greeted with the same response; shock mixed with pure joy.

Remus closed the gap between him and the older man, and pulled him into a tight hug. Harry was stricken at how similar the two men really were. Alex, though a decade older, had the same brown and sandy hair color (though with a touch more gray) and bright blue eyes that Harry was accustomed to with Remus. Unlike Remus, however, Alex was a bit thinner and lankier. Remus had always had an athletic build, but Harry supposed that was due to the constant transformations.

Harry turned his attention to his aunt who gasped quietly before letting out a cry of joy. She quickly made her way over to the small group and stood before a young girl who appeared to be his age. _Must be Emma_, Harry thought to himself. He narrowed his eyes slightly and took in her appearance. _Same hair as Aunt Petunia, but her eyes are similar to Vernon's. A brighter blue than the sky,_

Both newcomers were slightly disheveled and had patches of mud and leaves. _If I had to guess, I would say they hid in a forest or something. Wonder if it was a surprise attack. _

_Well of course it was. It wasn't like they planned to suddenly be compromised._ He silently berated himself. He let the happy reunions continue and went back to the kettle. He grabbed it and headed to the sink and began washing it out, letting his mind wander. The past twenty-four hours had been a blur, beginning with his leaving Privet Drive, the meeting, Petunia arriving, and now the arrival of long lost Alex and Emma.

_I'm happy for them; I know I'd give anything to get my parents back. I can't imagine how happy they are to know the ones they loved are alive and well. But it still would be nice for me to be in their shoes. _

As soon as the thought crossed his mind he shook his head, grinning, _I guess technically I am in their shoes; I'm getting some family back. I just never knew I had them to miss. Emma is technically, no she _is _my sister, and Remus is like the Uncle I never had, so by association Alex is kind of my Uncle. _

Harry placed the kettle aside and started in on the rest of the dishes in the sink. While he was doing one, he might as well do them all. Besides he needed something to do while everyone got acquainted.

_It's funny, five years ago I had a family of three. I didn't really claim them as my family then, so I was really a family of one. Now I've got Sirius and Remus, all nine Weasley's, Hermione, Aunt Petunia, though that is new and rocky, and Emma and Alex. _

_I don't mind it really, it's nice to have so many people that love and care about me, and the same for them. The only downside is there's more for Voldemort to use against me. But I won't let him. He can't stand how much I love them, how much love has shaped my life. This is my advantage, and I need to embrace it._

A figure appeared at his side while he was lost in thought. He hadn't noticed them until they spoke, a kind and bubbly voice. "Need a hand?"

Harry started, and turned to the new person. He flashed a grin, "I hadn't even realized you'd come over."

"Sorry," Emma replied, matching his grin. She grabbed a towel from the counter and began drying dishes as Harry washed. "Alex and Remus went upstairs to catch up and Petunia and Professor Dumbledore stepped out to discuss some things."

Harry nodded, "I figured you lot would be busy so I settled in over here. I didn't want to intrude on such a happy occasion."

Emma rolled her eyes but Harry was oblivious. "You are a part of the reunion, so don't try to shy out of it. It's odd, though, thinking that I have a brother. I don't remember much, mostly just times with Alex."

Harry laughed, "That makes two of us. Until this morning I was Harry Potter, only heir to the Potters, only relatives residing at Number Four, Privet Drive."

"That's more than I knew. Alex would always get all funny when I asked about my family, and change the subject. I understand why now." Emma responded, setting the last dish down.

Harry placed the sponge back beside the faucet and dried his hands. He turned and faced her, "The only thing I'm surprised about is how easy it is to keep conversation, granted it hasn't been a long one, but I don't know, I just expected it to be awkward."

Emma shrugged and carefully dried the last dish, "Seems natural, really. I was worried you wouldn't want to meet me, as silly as that sounds."

Harry shook his head, "I'm a bit short on family, I'm not about to turn anyone away at this point."

Emma snorted, "Isn't that the truth!" She put the dish down and draped the towel over the side of the sink and leaned against the counter. "So tell me, what is it that I must know about you?"

Harry scrunched his face in thought, "Well… I dunno, I'm a quidditch fan?"

Emma burst out laughing. "Of all the things I expected you to say, that wasn't one of them."

Harry blushed, "Well, let's hear something about you!"

"Well… I dunno, I'm not a quidditch fan?" Emma replied with a straight face. She watched as Harry's face dropped, unsure of what to say. "Only joking! I should have said that I'm probably a bigger fan than you are."

Harry shook his head, "Not possible, but if you are I doubt you'd know more than Ron. I think he sleeps with the Cannon's stats."

Emma rolled her eyes, "That isn't hard to do. One goal saved, one goal made, zero snitch catches. Win percentage one-point-one-two."

Harry grinned, "Glad we're on the same page then."

"As long as you don't root for Puddlemore, we should be okay."

Harry frowned, "Well…"

"Then we can't be related," Emma said in mock seriousness.

"Actually, I'm a big supporter of the Falcons."

Emma made a face, "Really?"

Harry nodded, "But I think we got off topic. To answer your original question, there's probably a lot you should know about me, but I suppose I'd have to say you need to know that I'm a parselmouth, but that's mostly because of Voldemort."

Emma stared a moment before flashing a large grin, "Wicked!"

It was Harry's turn to roll his eyes, "I wish that was the initial reaction I'd gotten." He proceeded to tell the story of when he'd accidently revealed to all of Hogwarts that he could speak to snakes. "So, what should I know about you?"

"I have a tiny, incredibly small, really, tendency to curse." Emma said innocently. "And I may or may not have an obsession with Honeduke's Chocolate. Alex gets it every year for every holiday."

"Good, now I know what to get you when I'm stumped or need to bribe you…"

Emma hit him playfully, "Bloody Git! Though I suppose anything quidditch will do for you? What are you? Seeker? Small enough build, but large enough to play Chaser too."

"Seeker, and are we really back onto Quidditch?"

"Told you I'm obsessed with it." Emma defended herself. "Chaser myself, Alex used to play Keeper for me in the summers."

Harry glanced at the clock, "Well, Emma, it's time to welcome you into the crazy family I've adopted. I'll introduce you to the lot, but you've met a few of them already."

Emma smiled and cast a glance at the door, "It's weird, you know. I don't even know what our parents look like, and I don't know if I should call Petunia my mum, or my aunt."

"Call her what you want. Nothing says she can't be your mum too. Besides she is your birth mum, so I suppose it wouldn't be wrong to say so. Or call her Petunia, that way you don't have to use mum or aunt until you know." Harry rationalized, extending an arm to her.

Emma accepted the arm with a thoughtful look, "Makes sense. I might just have to do that."

"Ready for a whirlwind?"

Emma laughed loudly. "I was born ready!"

"Somehow, I don't think anyone could be ready for this."

"Touché, brother." Emma said, testing out the name. "Really, though I should embrace it now, because there isn't any turning back. Besides, I've always dreamed of the day when I would have a family, it just came a lot faster than I reckoned it would."

Harry shook his head, amazed at how easily it was to see this girl as his sister. _I don't even know much about her, but I feel as if I've known her all my life. Which is funny since I've known her for about five minutes. _"Keep holding on to that optimism, because once you meet the twins, you'll be wishing for a bit of sanity. They'll likely try and trick you, but don't be fooled. No one knows which one is which. I don't think they even know half the time." He said fondly heading to the door.

Together they headed upstairs. "I assume Dumbledore gave you the run down on what this place is."

Emma nodded, "Yea. It's not quite what I imagined it being."

"You imagined a nice, bright, and calming house with a slight bustle of war heroes?"

"Not quite, but I definitely didn't expect such… darkness. This place is quite depressing." Emma replied as they entered the main floor.

Harry shrugged, "You get used to it, eventually. My first memories of here weren't all that pleasant, so I understand completely."

"Mind if I ask why?"

Harry shook his head, "Nearly everyone who had access to the prophet would know, so it's not that big of a deal. Last year I was going on trial for underage magic after I saved Petunia's son from a Dementor. After the ministry drug my name through mud, I was pretty convened I was done with Hogwarts. Hogwarts was my real home, before I realized that home was wherever my family was. Once I realized that this sort of became my home. It was where my Godfather, Sirius, was, and where the Weasley's were living."

"Sirius, as in Sirius Black?" Emma inquired.

"Yea, but he's not the madman everyone made him out to be."

"I know, I was just making sure I remembered it correctly. Dumbledore told me about him before we came here."

"He's quite great, actually," Harry said as they made it to the first floor landing. "He's on a mission for the Order, and I'm not really sure when he'll be back. I'm hoping before my birthday, but seeing as that's in four days…"

Emma finished what he was saying in her head—_It's not likely to happen. _"Nothing's wrong with a bit of hope."

Harry peered at one of the doors for a moment before speaking. "Some of the Weasley's should be here, in Ron's room. If not we can go to the next floor and find Hermione. Both of them are my best friends, have been since first year."

Emma looked at him fondly, "That must be nice, having two people you can go to with anything."

Harry frowned, realizing that she probably hadn't had the same opportunity he'd had with Ron and Hermione. "Don't worry, before Hogwarts I had no friends. No one wanted to hang around Dudley's punching bag. I was a constant target so no one wanted to be around to be hit as well."

"I'm sorry," Emma began but shook her head, "Actually I'm not. I'm angry, not sorry. That's total crap!"

Harry shrugged, "I'm better off now, plus it was kind of worth it after Hagrid gave him a pig's tail."

"What?!"

Harry laughed heartily, "If only you could have seen his face!"

The two siblings continued on towards a dark door, swapping jokes as if it was a common occurrence. Harry knocked loudly before opening Ron's door, stepping in before Emma. Ron was sprawled across his bed on his stomach, glaring at his sister. Ginny was perched atop the desk, grinning widely in return, and Hermione was seated in the corner rolling her eyes with her arms crossed across her chest.

"'Lo everyone, there's someone you all should meet." Harry announced as they turned their attention to him. He gestured for Emma to come in the room and stand by him. "This is Emma, she's going to be staying here now."

Emma waved back, flashing a large grin.

"The lanky and awkward one on the bed is Ron Weasley. The pretty red head on the desk is his sister, the better of the Weasley's, Ginny. And in the corner is the smartest of us all, Ms. Hermione Granger. Everyone else, meet Emma Potter." Harry finished with a mischievous grin. He knew if he'd riled them up a bit and dropped the bomb, it'd have desired affects. His last word hung in the air and he snuck a look at Emma, who was in turn rolling her eyes, but smiling none-the-less.

Ron was the first to break the silence, "What?!" He exclaimed, propping himself up on his elbows and then fumbling into a seated position. Hermione narrowed her eyes, deep in thought, and Ginny just stared.

"You heard right, but perhaps not in the way you are thinking. If you'd like the whole story, it may take a while. Best get Ron fed first, so he can get his brain functioning," Harry explained, dodging the pillow Ron threw at him.

"Mate, this isn't a very funny joke."

"Ron, you have to actually understand jokes for them to be funny," Ginny retorted. "Besides I don't think this is a joke at all."

"It's quite true, what he said." Emma said as she took a seat beside Ginny on the desk. "My birth mum is Petunia Dursley, but she gave me up to keep me safe from Vernon. He wasn't very thrilled about having a witch for a daughter."

"And if how they treated Harry is any indication of what would have happened to you, then I'd say she made a good choice." Ron said slowly.

Harry shrugged, "Depends on how you look at it, but yes it was in the end. The only problem was that the people who adopted them were murdered by Voldemort and she was sent to live with her Godfather."

Silence filled the room as the three of them processed what Harry was saying. Harry flopped down on Ron's bed in the meantime.

Hermione spoke next, carefully sorting out the facts as she went. "So, let me get this straightened out. Emma was born to your aunt and uncle, Harry, but was given up to a couple who could take better care of her. They were murdered, and she was sent to live elsewhere. In a similar fashion you were sent elsewhere, and you both share the same last name. So really she's your adopted sister."

Emma nodded, "Adopted yes, but by blood we are siblings. The contract was signed in blood, and a spell was done to link me to the family. That way if Vernon ever wanted to come get me he couldn't."

"Wicked." Ron said, blowing air between his teeth.

"Honestly, Ron!" Ginny and Hermione said in unison, prompting Emma to giggle.

"It must be weird, though," Ron continued, ignoring the two females, "to have a sibling."

Harry shrugged, "Yeah, but I don't know… It just kind of feels natural. When I first heard I thought I'd be weirded out by suddenly having a sister, but really it's like I always knew her."

Hermione cleared her throat lightly, "I don't mean to interrupt that train of thought, but Emma, who exactly did you get sent to? I can't imagine it was Remus, he'd have told us by now, and it wasn't Sirius, for obvious reasons."

"You weren't too far off when you mentioned Remus," Emma explained. "I was with Alex Lupin, Remus' older brother." Emma went on to explain the situation between Remus and Alex, filling in bits and pieces of her childhood as she went. _It's nice to converse with people my own age_, she thought idly.

The five of them continued their conversation as it veered from Emma to Quidditch (again, after Emma confessed her favorite pro team was the Holly Head Harpies, much to Ginny's pleasure), to school (Emma was eager to actually go to Hogwarts and not just hear about it), and finally to the Order.

"I'm not sure if I can tell you lot this, so don't spread it around." Harry started, but was cut off by sounds of indignation.

"Mate, who exactly am I going to tell? I'm locked up here for Merlin's sake!"

"Oi, do I look like a blabber mouth!"

"Honestly, Harry!"

Emma chose to stay silent, her retort caught in her mind. _Who am I going to tell? I know exactly eight people here, most of which probably already know._

Harry waved his hand at them in mock protest. "In all seriousness though, I'm being truthful. I was able to go to a meeting last night and I'm assuming what I learned will be presented to you lot shortly anyway."

Ron stared at him in awe, "They let you in? Blimey, I wish I could have gone to an Order meeting!"

"It wasn't that special," Harry confided. "Lots of proper speaking and stiff backed chairs. And some yelling," He didn't divulge that most of the yelling came from him. "What was special was that there is talk of a Junior Order. It would act as the Order does, but not as fully. It would be comprised with mostly DA members and anyone else who'd like to join our cause. Three chosen heads will act as liaisons, myself included."

"That would be incredibly useful!" Ginny exclaimed. "If Voldemort's recruiting then we should be too, so as to prevent him from gaining too many new followers."

Harry nodded, "That's the general thought. The more we can prevent him from getting followers, the better off we are in the end. Plus it wouldn't hurt to have our generation ready for a fight. We lost a lot of people, most of them students, in the first war. With so little time in between, we need to keep our numbers high."

"We'd have to open it up to all houses, though," Hermione said thoughtfully, "but we'd need a better fail safe than what we had with the DA."

"My exact reason for bringing it up. I know the Order is mostly adults, and adults are supposed to be smart, but if this is going to work we need fresh ideas and they should come from those it affects the most: us." Harry explained. "The DA was grand until the bitter end, and in the same way the Order was compromised in the first war, though a bit more extreme, so we need precautions."

Emma shot them a confused look and Harry quickly filled her in about the DA, skimming over some of the more intense parts. He filed a mental note to give her a more in-depth recount later on.

Emma absorbed the information like a sponge, taking parts of it that triggered something inside her and focusing on the fleeting thought. Her mind continued to cycle through thoughts as Harry spoke until finally she was able to grab the one that she was looking for. She pondered it a moment, mulling over an idea that spawned from it.

After a moment of silence she spoke, "What if they went through a screening process? Alex used to talk about a security measure the ministry used in the first war. I think he worked there… Anyway, it was a type of mist that would alert them if someone with a dark mark entered the premises. What if we used a variation of that? Anyone with a mark or intentions of spying wouldn't be able to walk through."

Hermione squealed excitedly, thoughts churning in her mind at full speed. "Or something a bit more camouflaged. That way they won't have warning to try and find a way around it. Do you mind if we head to the library room? I'd like to take a look at something."

Emma shrugged, "I don't mind." She hopped off the desk and followed Hermione out of the room, chatting happily and swapping ideas as they went.

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, but said nothing. _Great, I've got another Hermione on my hands. Now I won't have any excuse not to do my work, not with two of them mothering me into it. _Harry groaned internally, his mind running through various scenes of him forcefully doing homework on time.

…

"Now, I understand your concern with a divorce, but for now I think it wise to hold off." Professor Dumbledore began, holding up a hand to prevent a confused Petunia from protesting. "I'm merely suggestion a more thoughtful approach."

Petunia scoffed, "What's more thoughtful than divorcing that beast?!"

Dumbledore suppressed the grin that was tugging at his lips. "A muggle divorce can be lengthy and drawn out. A magical one isn't nearly as difficult and can be of more benefits."

"But I'm not magical!" Petunia protested. "I haven't an ounce of magic in my body, as we've clearly proven! Besides the only magic relations I have are my daughter and nephew. I hardly think that constitutes me being able to use the magic legal system."

"There is a common misconception about muggleborn witches and wizards. People assume that magic is spontaneous, but it isn't really. Magic comes from magic. In the case of 'muggleborns' it is the case that there is a squib in the family tree," Dumbledore replied before explaining the concept of a squib. "Now the squib could be far up the family tree, or as close as your mother or father. I highly doubt that, but it isn't impossible."

Petunia frowned, processing the information. "So what you are saying is that I have magic, I just can't use it."

The professor nodded, "As time goes on squibs mingle with those like themselves, nonmagical. When muggle blood is introduced it decreases the chance for a magical child, but it doesn't eliminate it entirely. Thus it appears that a witch or wizard comes from two muggle parents, when in fact one of them has traces of magic in their blood. I suggest that we take a look in your family tree before proceeding. Once we can prove you have a magical background you can proceed in a magical divorce."

Silence met him for a moment while Petunia mulled the information over. _Is it possible? Is it possible that Lily had enough magic in her blood to use? If that's the case then I should too, I am older after all. I would have the first exposure that she wouldn't have had. It does make sense though, that magic isn't spontaneous. What were the odds of me having a magical sibling _and_ child? The explanation would be because of his theory. _

_But what does it all mean for me?_

"So," She said aloud, "If I'm _magical_ I can have a different divorce…but what exactly are the benefits? How can it be any different?"

Dumbledore folded his hands in his lap, "Since a magic person married a muggle then by magic we can protect you from him. Due to his…violent tendencies, it would be easy to place a magical restriction on you so that he can't come near you and will over time forget your existence entirely. The same can be said with your son, though because of the adoption, that can be tricky."

"What if my name was forged?"

A look of surprise found its way onto the older man's face. "That could change everything my dear."

"Vernon knew I wouldn't sign for the child so he forged the signature and brought the boy home to me. I wasn't there for any of the steps." Petunia explained, leaning forward in her chair. _I wasn't there to make sure the child he brought home was decent. I wasn't there for one of the biggest changes of _my _life. I was tending to our daughter and he was finding a replacement!_

"Then, in both magical and muggle standards, you have no legal bindings to that family at all. We'd just need proof, but that can be easily arranged. A small amount of truth serum to him, or yourself, and a court scribe could do the trick well."

Petunia glanced past the professor and sighed, "That would be lovely, in all honestly. A clean cut—a fresh start. Part of me feels bad, Dudley did forge some feelings with me, but to be honest he's taken after his father so much that I don't think he'd miss me much. He might miss the pampering and favoritism, but he'd get over it eventually."

_Our mother/son bond was mediocre at best, when you strip away the acting. Besides, he's more interested in binge eating or boxing now, never giving time to anyone, not even Vernon. _

"With the magic divorce it can be arranged that you never have to deal with either of them again. Your name can be changed back to Evans and with one spell all muggle documents will have been changed. The process takes less than an hour, the only catch being we need evidence of magic."

Petunia pondered a moment, thinking back to her child hood. What Dumbledore had said triggered a thought in her mind and she was working furiously to catch it. _Lily is…was… was like mum in a lot of ways, including mum's uncanny ability to foresee events. She wasn't a prophet, per se, but she had this intuition that went beyond motherly. Like the time she knew I was going to have a panic attack so she ran to my room before I'd had it. Or when Lily broke her arm falling off the swing set at the park. She was there before Lily even fell._

"I think you need to look into my mother's side of the family. Her maiden name was Blunt, Melody Blunt. I think her mother's maiden name was Brown." She relayed her findings about her mother's intuitions and watched as Dumbledore nodded slowly.

"That would make sense. I know a fair few Browns around the communities, one of which is attendance at Hogwarts. That isn't to say it could be further up in the tree, but it's a start. I'll go and start that, why don't you get some sleep? Or perhaps a bite to eat. I have no doubt Molly has prepared a fantastic feast during our time away." He explained as he stood, offering a hand to Petunia.

She shook her head, "No thank you. I think I'll sit here for a while." Petunia glanced around the cozy room, "It's private and nice. Much different than the rest of the home."

Dumbledore smiled, "Ah, yes. It is used normally as a private den for the home owner, but as he is away he wouldn't mind it going to good use." He bowed politely and bid Petunia goodbye.

Petunia waved silently, remaining seated. She sighed loudly and slid in her chair slightly. "Petunia Evans, I haven't heard that name in years."

_But I like it a load better than what I have now. Part of me wants to reject the idea that I have magic, but then again it makes perfect sense. Besides why reject something that has helped me thus far? I fear I made a grave mistake all those years ago, turning from it and cowering around it. It's time I faced that fear. _

…

The kitchen was abuzz with conversation and laughter, much to Molly Wesley's delight. With such dark times looming, _Or perhaps it's better to say they've already set in,_ it was important to hold on to the moments that created happiness. Mrs. Weasley let herself stare fondly for a long while before she busied herself with setting the table and levitating the food into place. She quickly fixed herself a plate and took a spot at the table and stuck up a conversation with one of the newest Order members, Elaine Wilkes, all the while sending sidelong glances at her children.

Down the table a way sat Harry, Ron, and Ginny, all three talking in hushed tones and occasionally taking a bite of their lunches.

"…after she explained it all, it kind of made sense in a roundabout way. That isn't to say I've totally forgiven her, but for the most part I'm over it." Harry said after taking a long drink of water.

"I'm still in shock that all of that happened," Ginny confessed picking at her food. "After all the stories I'd heard, I can't imagine what it was like for her to have to act like that."

"I know, and that's part of why I'm not making such a deal about it." Harry responded. "That, and to be honest, I have a lot of things to deal with, and I don't really want to spend my time moaning about stuff that I've long since been over with."

"Sounds reasonable," Ron said in between bites of his sandwich. "Plus she has to be somewhat changed, considering she's in a magical home full of magic."

Harry nodded, and dug into the rest of his meal. His stomach was growling and he'd decided it was time to put the past in the past, at least until he had to repeat it all with Hermione. _Although, she's a smart witch. She's probably figured out everything I told Ron and Ginny._

The rest of the meal was in a blissful silence, only broken for a snide comment about one another or a joke towards Ron. Harry and Ginny teamed up on the poor boy, teasing him mercilessly. Ron of course retaliated with a few crisps thrown at each person's head. The food fight lasted only a few moments after a stern glare was sent at them by Mrs. Weasley.

Harry grinned sheepishly, "Ron started it?"

"Oi! You lot did!" Ron protested.

"I'm finishing it," Mrs. Weasley said before turning her attention back to Elaine.

Ginny turned to the two boys, "Suppose we better go upstairs?"

Harry nodded and pushed his plate to the side. "Yeah, less chance of trouble. And we should check in on Hermione and Emma."

"Ron, take our dishes to the sink while Harry and I make a plate for Hermione and Emma," Ginny said while grabbing a plate and handing it to Harry. Ron began to protest but then shook his head, grabbing their dishes and stomping over to the sink.

"Honestly, he's such a bloody baby!" Ginny muttered with a grin. She quickly prepared a plate of food, grabbing a good handful of crisps as well as a scoop of the roasted vegetables. She grabbed a sandwich and placed it on the plate, then turned around and grabbed a cup of water and a napkin. "Ready?" She asked Harry who was putting the finishing touches on his plate.

"I suppose. I'm not really sure what Emma likes…" He said staring at the array of food.

"Hopefully she's not a vegetarian, I don't think mum knows how to cook a meal without meat." Ron said under his breath as he rejoined the three of them.

Harry laughed, "I settled on vegetables, a sandwich, and some of the rice casserole. A good variety, I hope."

"If not, Ron'll eat it."

"And so what if I would?"

The three of them were headed up the stairs after bidding Mrs. Weasley and her companion goodbye. The journey to the library was a short one, up two flights of stairs and an immediate right. As expected Hermione was hunched over a book, lips rapidly forming words as she silently read to herself. The quill in her right hand was scratching across the parchment at an even faster rate.

Emma was across the room, curled up in one of the wingback chairs. Her eyes moved across the page, completely lost in what she was reading. Ginny cleared her throat and dropped Hermione's food in front of her. Harry placed Emma's plate across the table from Hermione and stepped back.

"Lunch has been served," He said in a low voice. With a quick bow he winked at his sister and took a seat in one of the unoccupied chairs. Emma rolled her eyes and folded the corner of her page, closing the book and sat it on the chair.

"Oh good—I'm starving!" Emma sat at the table and dug in immediately.

"Not a vegetarian, then." Ron remarked after she took a bite of her sandwich. Emma raised an eyebrow but chose not to respond.

Hermione frowned, but placed her quill in the book to mark her page. She closed it gingerly and slid it to the side. "I suppose I can take a break. I was just getting to an interesting part, you know."

"No one said we had good timing," Ginny said pleasantly. "Find anything good?"

Hermione nodded and swallowed, "Yes, actually. The mist Emma was talking about was one of four types of mists known to be used at the ministry. Each was a heavy bit of magic that did something to their benefit. One of them, the gold one, Harry faced in the Tournament last year."

Harry groaned, having recalled the memory involving the mist. "Lovely."

Hermione ignored this, "There is also the one that Emma mentioned, a white mist, as well as a bronze mist that would temporarily blind anyone who walked through. This was mostly used in high security areas of the ministry, as well as most parts of the Department of Mysteries. Workers would enter and be blinded for a few minutes before they could actually go to work."

"That seems counterproductive," Ginny made a face.

"Yes, but it did the job. Anytime a Death Eater or someone under Imperius would try to break in they would be blinded and dealt with appropriately." Emma explained. She took a quick swig of her water and continued on, "The last of the four types was a black mist that would take you to various parts of the ministry, similar to a portkey. If you needed quick access to the atrium you just had to walk through the designated mist. This was used by the Aurors when they needed to go places quickly."

Harry nodded, "That would make sense. If an attack was going on in the Atrium you'd want to be there immediately. Is it a two way thing?"

Hermione shook her head. "I believe one way. There would be entrances in the Auror's offices that would lead them to parts of the ministry, but I've yet to find something that said they could be used to backtrack. That would be an incredible vulnerability, so I doubt it."

"Well, how are we going to replicate them?" Ron asked. "None of them really do what we want, other than the one Emma mentioned earlier. But the problem is, some of the kids of Death Eaters will know about it and will probably have a way to get around it by now."

"That's what Hermione and I were looking into," Emma explained as she finished her food. "If we can somehow incorporate a disillusion charm of some kind then they wouldn't know what they need to get around."

"The first thing we should do is actually research how the mist is created," Ginny reminded them. "We can't find out how to add things if we don't even know how to make it."

"I wonder if we could ask Remus, or Alex since you thought he worked there," Harry added, glancing at Emma.

Emma shrugged, "I dunno, but I think he did. At least some of his stories involved the ministry, and I highly doubt a normal person would visit the ministry as often as he had a story."

"So if we figure that out then we can tailor it." Ron said, picking at his shirt.

"But what to?" Harry asked. "It'd need to be specific. For the club we'd have to have protection against already marked individuals, and those who are currently going through the process. The question is how do we discern who is working with the Death Eaters and who isn't?"

The room was silent as each person tried to answer that question. _We need something to prevent spies. Something that won't allow the likes of Malfoy to know our secrets, _Harry thought to himself.

Ginny concentrated hard on a train of thought, carefully considering the idea. _Maybe the issue isn't just having an invisible mist. What if we coupled it with something else? Something like a Vow. Not an Unbreakable one, that's a bit drastic, although considering the war raging on, it might not be far off. Magical marriage ceremonies, the traditional ones at least, have a set of vows that are binding. In the same way the Goblin's are bound to serve without greed by vows, and House Elf's swear vows to their families. _

_If we create a spell that is bound by magic, an allegiance to the light, to always protect and serve for the greater good, to end an era full of prejudice, we might just be able to pull it off. _

She cleared her throat, glancing at each person for a long moment. "I think I've got it," She said finally. "What if we create a vow, unique to the cause, that prevents anyone with mal intent or anyone whose passed the initial screenings, to do us harm?"

Harry looked impressed and locked eyes with her for a moment. "That," He said with smirk, "Is bloody brilliant!" Ginny felt a blush creep up on her face, but she smiled anyway, willing it to go back where it came from.

Ron nodded, as did Hermione and Emma. "The punishment doesn't have to be as severe as an Unbreakable," Hermione mentioned, head swimming with ideas. "but it needs to be harsh enough to prevent temptation."

"We could always make the traitors go mute, so all they could ever do is nonverbal's." Ron said pointedly. "Though that might give them an upper hand in a duel against us."

"Right track, wrong solution," Emma said. "Maybe something similar—take out one of their senses, giving them a disadvantage."

Hermione shook her head, "That boarders inhumane."

"I'd take inhumane over them betraying us!" Ron countered.

"Then we'd be lowering ourselves to their level!" Hermione argued. "That's exactly what a Death Eater would do! Take away an essential part of daily functioning! We can't go around making them blind or deaf. There has to be a different solution."

"Well I don't see you coming up with something!"

Harry rolled his eyes and exchanged a look with Ginny. "Let me ask you all this, what do kids our age desire most?"

The answers were given immediately, one after another.

"To fit it somewhere."

"Love or companionship."

"Happiness."

Harry nodded, "So if we take those away what are they really left with?'

Ginny smiled, knowing what he meant. "Exactly what they fear most; if you can't ever find a place where you feel you truly belong, where you have people who love you and that you love back, where you are truly happy, then you will always be longing for something you can't obtain. You'd go mad."

"Exactly—thanks Gin." Harry replied, glancing at her and then the others. "Everyone just wants to be happy, so we take that away. The consequences of breaking the vow would be a lack of happiness and companionship and to be always wandering, trying to find a place of solitude, only to never achieve a comfortable state of contempt." Harry finished and sat back in his chair. He brought his hands together and fiddled with his fingers, allowing the other three to think over what he'd just said. At the same time he felt his mind begin to mull over it as well.

_To be honest, it's nothing less than they'd deserve, should we even encounter that sort of problem. To never settle with a love or with a sense of comfort would drive me absolutely mad. The reasons they run to Voldemort are to find power that will make them fit in, but if we take that away from them, then they are left with nothing. They shouldn't be able to gain one over on people by joining a legion of murderers. _

_But we need to present a strong alternative, something that they bite at, something that shows what we are ultimately are doing is right. The problem is that most of the purebloods were raised to believe that most of what the Order stands for is wrong. _

_And to get people to let go of those beliefs is damn near impossible._

_But I like impossible, and it seems to like me just as well. _

…

**Okay, so after the next chapter things should be picking up pace. There's just a lot to cover in the summer months. Next chapter is gonna be mega long, but then again if I get it all in one chapter I can move on and start some sub plots and fun things!**

**So once again, I'd like to take the time to request reviews!**

**Also, I usually don't single out reviewers, but seeing as it was my first for the story, a big thanks to geetac! Much thanks and loves to you! :)**

**Look out for the next chapter relatively soon. I hadn't planned on such a long break between this chapter and the last one, but it kind of just happened. The next one should be up quickly because it's the one I've been wanting to write for a while now! **

**Would it be bad to plug a wish for reviews again? Too late.**


End file.
